Only Correct Hearing and Contemplation Lead to Correct Cultivation and Realization

In the scorching summer, a thirsty traveler sees a well with clear, deep water, but searches in vain for a rope and a water jar. Having no choice, he can only endure his thirst, unable to obtain the clear water to refresh himself; though there is well water, it has nothing to do with him. Students of Buddhism are just like this: they constantly talk about emptiness with their mouths, yet have no method to seek realization; they merely shout slogans while still dwelling within existence. They often cry "let go," without knowing what to let go of or how to let go, and so can only remain constantly attached, simply because they lack skillful means and methods. Understanding the ways and methods of liberation is crucial; otherwise, one is like standing at the edge of a well with a parched mouth and dry tongue.

For sentient beings to attain liberation, they must cultivate and realize according to Buddhist principles: eliminate self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi), realize the emptiness of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) and the eighteen elements (dhātu), with no self or others and no four marks. Then they must abandon the five hindrances, bring forth the first dhyāna, sever afflictions and remove self-grasping; only at the end of life can they transcend the three realms and attain liberation. Not knowing what the self is or what the self consists of, stubbornly clinging to the manas and the five aggregates, and vainly shouting about breaking attachments and letting go is merely futile effort.

For the liberation and letting go of the Small Vehicle, one must contemplate the illusory nature of the five aggregates and the eighteen elements through contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), contemplating aggregate by aggregate, element by element, realizing the first fruit of the arhat by severing the three fetters, and gradually realizing the fourth fruit to achieve transcendence—there is no other path. Non-Buddhists do not understand this principle; after years of cultivation, they attain the highest meditative concentration (samādhi) and are reborn in the highest heaven, stubbornly clinging to the states within concentration as nirvāṇa, not knowing that a state of concentration is merely a mental sense-object. Wherever there is knowing, there is perception (saṃjñā), and that is the self, still within the five aggregates, unable to escape birth and death. When liberation will come is indefinitely remote.

The practice of Buddhadharma consists of hearing, reflection, cultivation, and realization. First is extensive hearing: listening to the true Dharma taught by the Buddha, which accords with Buddhist principles. If it does not accord with the Buddha's teachings, the more one hears, the more one increases birth and death. Next is reflection: one must reflect correctly, in accordance with reason and the Dharma; deviant thinking and wrong interpretations only further increase birth and death. Then comes cultivation: cultivating according to Buddhist principles; if what one hears is incorrect and one's reflection is mistaken, cultivation will go astray as soon as one begins, never getting on the right path. Finally comes realization: only when what is heard is correct, reflection is thorough, and cultivation is accurate, and when the conditions of the season are complete, can the truth be realized. Only by realizing the truth can there be genuine benefit; vainly shouting "let go" is like firing a gun blindly without knowing where the target is. Accumulate much merit, strictly uphold the precepts, constantly cultivate concentration, and skillfully cultivate wisdom—then the great path of liberation is right before your eyes.