The Most Crucial Concentration

The most crucial concentration in meditation must align with the goal of meditative practice. What is the goal of meditation? It is to comprehend principles, verify principles, and attain wisdom. Therefore, the mind must be concentrated on the principles and teachings to be understood, with every thought abiding in the Dharma, single-mindedly focused on the practice being cultivated. Only in this way can one contemplate with concentration and ultimately, through clear contemplation, realize the Dharma and attain the wisdom of samādhi. Thus, the most essential and primary concentration is the grounding of the manas (mind-root) in the Dharma, possessing the will to verify the Dharma, the will to comprehend principles, the will to contemplate and practice, the will to investigate deeply, and the will to attain liberation. Only then can one concentrate wholeheartedly on contemplation, investigation, and practice. Once the direction of meditative concentration is clear, the path and rationale of cultivating concentration and the Way become distinctly different from those of non-Buddhist paths.

If the manas lacks these wills, it cannot settle on the Dharma being cultivated, and thus meditation cannot be successfully practiced, because the internal motivation is insufficient, and external concentration cannot be developed. If the roots of virtue, merit, and conditions are all inadequate, and one has not generated the great bodhicitta (mind of enlightenment), there will be no driving force to break through the conditioning and limitations of one's environment, like a silkworm bound by its cocoon. If the motivation of the manas is insufficient and it cannot settle upon the Dharma, meditation will not be well-cultivated, and contemplation and practice will be ineffective. Those who fail to cultivate concentration well should examine whether they have generated bodhicitta, whether their motivation is pure, and whether there is internal drive.

The concentration of the manas must first be grounded in the Dharma; only then can the mano-vijñāna (mind consciousness) settle upon the Dharma without distraction and concentrate on contemplation and practice. Because the consciousness follows the lead of the manas, the directing pointer of the manas constantly, moment by moment, guides the consciousness. If the manas is not settled, waving its pointer everywhere, the consciousness simply cannot stabilize. Therefore, the most critical aspect of meditation is still to fix the manas in place. Once the manas is settled, constantly mindful of the Dharma, one will practice diligently with strong motivation, and meditative practice will progress rapidly. If the manas is fixed upon the Four Noble Truths of the Śrāvakayāna, one will diligently cultivate the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment. If fixed upon the Mahāyāna prajñā wisdom, one will diligently cultivate the Six Pāramitās of a Bodhisattva. Only when the manas diligently practices the Buddhadharma can the consciousness be diligent. If the manas is indolent, the consciousness cannot be diligent. If the manas is complete in the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment, the consciousness will inevitably be complete.