Is Buddhist Practice a Matter of Technical Skill or Mind Cultivation? (Part 2)

If Buddhist study and practice were merely a matter of technical effort, why is it that some people diligently meditate day and night for thirty or fifty years yet still fail to attain the first dhyana, while others manifest the first dhyana within a year or two? Some may have experienced enlightenment for thirty years yet still not even glimpse the first dhyana. Yet others, shortly after beginning Buddhist study and merely upon encountering the theory and engaging in a little contemplative practice, are able to realize various stages of fruition, even though they may not yet fully comprehend many Buddhist terminologies, for their contemplative wisdom has already arisen.

If Buddhist study and practice were a matter of technical effort, then are the Six Paramitas of the Bodhisattva technical cultivation or cultivation of mind-nature? Does the Perfection of Giving (Dāna) belong to the technical level or the mind-nature level? Does the Perfection of Precepts (Śīla) belong to the technical level or the mind-nature level? Is the Perfection of Forbearance (Kṣānti) technical or related to mind-nature? Is the Perfection of Meditation (Dhyāna) technical or related to mind-nature?

As for Wisdom (Prajñā), what kind of wisdom does a person with poor mind-nature possess? Is such wisdom in accord with that of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas? Regarding Diligence (Vīrya), there is right diligence and wrong diligence. Wrong diligence belongs to the technical level, while right diligence is the cultivation of mind-nature. Can those with ulterior motives attain genuine benefit from the Dharma? The true mark of a Bodhisattva's accomplishment is the cultivation of loving-kindness (maitrī), compassion (karuṇā), sympathetic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekṣā). Without a transformation in mind-nature, one will never manifest the conduct of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, and the Bodhisattva fruition can never be fulfilled.

Whose mind-nature is superior, that of an Arhat or a Bodhisattva? Whose spiritual practice is more advanced? Who is most favored by the Buddha? Who will attain Buddhahood first? Who engages in cultivation at the technical level, and who at the mind-nature level? Did the Buddha not condemn those focused solely on technical work as "scorched sprouts and rotten seeds," fallen into "the pit of non-action"?

The ultimate result of Buddhist study and practice must be the possession of both virtue and talent; one must have talent, but even more importantly, virtue. Without virtue, talent is merely perverse skill; it might be used for evil paths, creating unwholesome karma without even realizing it. There are many talented people in the world, but not all use their talents to create wholesome karma; many use them to create unwholesome karma. If talent is used to create unwholesome karma, it would be better to have no talent at all.

For those who study and practice Buddhism, virtue must occupy the foremost position. With virtue, one need not worry about lacking talent. If a person has only talent but no virtue, no matter how great the talent, it will not be put to right use. A person with virtue but no talent can be nurtured into one who possesses both virtue and talent; with their Bodhisattva mind-nature and the Buddha's blessings, they can attain the Way swiftly. Therefore, Buddhist study and practice is not merely technical work; the most crucial aspect is the cultivation of mind-nature. A person who is selfless and without personal bias is a true Bodhisattva. If one's heart contains only oneself, only personal gain, and is solely focused on oneself, such a person is not a true Bodhisattva.

Technical cultivation is always many times easier than mind-nature cultivation. With technical skills, as long as one diligently studies and researches, one is certain to gain some understanding and harvest from the texts; coupled with intelligence, one can master many techniques. But what about mind-nature? A hundred years may not suffice to subdue the mind-nature; inherent nature is hard to change. A Bodhisattva who develops technical skills but has not subdued their mind-nature is still not a true Bodhisattva, only a nominal or counterfeit Bodhisattva, incapable of ever fulfilling the function of a Bodhisattva.

Many people painstakingly engage in contemplative practice, study, and research day and night, yet never examine their own mind. No matter how diligently they study the "science and technology" of the Dharma, they cannot subdue their self-attachment and selfish nature, cannot truly eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), and cannot truly realize the enlightened mind. Such people are not Bodhisattvas, despite mastering the "science and technology" of the Dharma!

In this present age, how many people study Buddhism merely as technical work, never applying effort to their own mind-nature? They may develop technical skills, but their virtue does not match their position. Wherever they go, they promote and assert the self, ultimately causing chaos wherever they are. They study Buddhism precisely to stand out, to assert the self, never to subdue the self, never for non-action (wuwei), never for selflessness and liberation from the afflictions of the mind. The more they study, the more high-profile they become; the heavier the sense of self grows; the more the world descends into chaos; ultimately, the very way of the world is thrown into disarray. Many study Buddhism precisely to rise above others, to step on others' shoulders; they have never once considered extinguishing the self, causing the self to vanish without a trace. Is this eradicating the view of self, or is it increasing the view of self? If Buddhism continues to develop like this, it will ultimately lead to great chaos in the world.

Therefore, if one truly wishes to cultivate oneself to fruition, one must work diligently on both fronts: one must apply great effort in cultivating the mind-ground (cittabhūmi), taming oneself, and also apply great effort in contemplative investigation and realization, striving to attain genuine sagehood in the true sense.