Meditative Concentration and Merit Alone Are Not Enough in Cultivation.

Whether living in the mundane world or cultivating the supramundane Dharma, the merit of meditative concentration (samādhi) alone is far from sufficient. Non-Buddhist practitioners only cultivate meditative concentration; they have only the merit of samādhi, without the merit of wisdom, without the merit of having made the great bodhicitta vow, and without the merit of generosity (dāna). Such merit can only be enjoyed within meditative concentration—no matter which heaven they dwell in, they enjoy blessings while in samādhi, and once they emerge from samādhi, they have nothing at all. Śākyamuni Buddha's non-Buddhist teachers had only the merit of samādhi, without the merit of wisdom; they cultivated all the way to the highest samādhi in the three realms—the samādhi of neither perception nor non-perception. But when they emerge from samādhi many kalpas later in future lives, they will commit evil karma in accordance with the evil vows they once made, and then, following the conditions of that evil karma, they will fall into hell to undergo retribution. Therefore, the merit of samādhi alone is still tainted and not ultimate; it cannot guarantee liberation and freedom, nor can it guarantee entry into nirvāṇa and the attainment of Buddhahood. In learning Buddhism, one should cultivate merit in many aspects; only when merit is perfected will the path of cultivation become smoother and smoother, going further and further, without limitation.

Even if one has the merit of samādhi, or has great merit in other respects, one should not squander and waste it freely in daily life; it must not all be used up in worldly living—it should be saved for cultivating the Path. Once the Path is accomplished, worldly merit will count for nothing. Merit plays an enormous role in cultivating the Path; if one is short of even a little merit, one cannot step over a threshold in cultivation. Therefore, practitioners must have lofty aspirations and far-reaching goals; they must not covet the low-grade enjoyments right before their eyes, and must not take conditioned and perishable dharmas seriously—only then can they reach the eternal that is unborn and unceasing.