Only by Gaining True Wisdom Can One Directly Attain Buddhahood

If one savors the Buddha-dharma slowly, or rather investigates it deeply, one can enter meditative concentration (samādhi) by investigating just a single sentence—this is called using wisdom to draw forth concentration. Within concentration, the wisdom of investigation keeps deepening, and the dharma meanings become increasingly clear and penetrating—this is called using concentration to draw forth wisdom. Concentration and wisdom drawing forth and enhancing each other—this is true cultivation, the most profound cultivation, the most fundamental cultivation, and also the most ultimate cultivation. What is attained is true wisdom, wisdom cultivated by oneself. Such investigation merely appears slow on the surface, as if the amount of knowledge gained were relatively small, but in reality it is the fastest path of cultivation, the most direct and straight route, because cultivation takes the attainment of wisdom as its ultimate goal—wisdom leads to buddhahood.

On the contrary, those who do not understand cultivation are rather superficial, pursuing only superficial quantities of knowledge, satisfied with knowing much, understanding much, and learning much, not recognizing the importance of true wisdom, and thus not seeking to obtain true wisdom. Pursuing quantity and speed, what they learn and gain is not true wisdom opened up by themselves; in reality they are laymen at cultivation. They may appear diligent and industrious, but in fact their pace is actually the slowest, because they lack true wisdom. Taking much knowledge, much interpretation, and much acquisition as wisdom is in reality the foolishness of beginning Buddhist practitioners.