The Correct Method of Practicing Śamatha and Vipaśyanā

Original text of the Samdhivinirmocana Sūtra, the chapter on Maitreya Bodhisattva's questions: (The Buddha said) 弥勒。一切菩萨。于如是等。修多罗中。应善谛听。口常善诵。心常善知。智常善观。慧如实觉。弥勒。诸菩萨等。于彼修多罗中。善思惟已。于空闲处。独坐观察。观察彼心。内常随顺。如是观心。如是不断心。彼菩萨得身乐心乐。弥勒。是名我说菩萨修行奢摩他法。

Explanation: The Buddha said: Maitreya, all bodhisattvas, with regard to these sūtras, should first listen well and carefully to the Buddha-dharma, then correctly recite the sūtra texts, then well (correctly and positively) know the sūtra's meaning in their minds, observe the principles of the Dharma with a mind of wisdom in accordance with the sūtra's meaning, and truly awaken to all dharmas with a mind of wisdom. This is the initial stage of understanding the principles. The Buddha said: Maitreya, after the bodhisattvas have deliberated well on these sūtras, they should find a quiet, secluded place to sit alone in contemplation, observing the Dharma meaning. The mind constantly follows and accords with the sūtra's meaning and the principles of the Dharma, observing in accordance with the Dharma principles, and the mind accepts and acknowledges the sūtra's meaning. By observing and deliberating in this way without interruption, the physical body will experience pleasant sensations, and the mind will also experience feelings of happiness and joy. Maitreya, this is what I call the method by which bodhisattvas cultivate śamatha.

By observing in accordance with the sūtra's meaning, one can give rise to the joy enlightenment-factor, the tranquility enlightenment-factor, and the concentration enlightenment-factor among the seven enlightenment-factors, and then the wisdom enlightenment-factor will have the opportunity to appear. For example, if the sūtra teaches that the five aggregates are all empty, one should observe the emptiness of the five aggregates in accordance with the principle of the emptiness of the five aggregates, deliberating on the emptiness of the five aggregates, and not go against the principle of emptiness by denying the emptiness of the five aggregates. This step is crucial; it is the key prerequisite for witnessing the principles of the Dharma, for only thus can the mind be transformed. This is the second stage of cultivation.

Those who have studied Buddhism for a long time but have not yet given rise to the joy enlightenment-factor, the tranquility enlightenment-factor, and the concentration enlightenment-factor should examine whether, when they deliberate on the Dharma meaning, their minds go against the Dharma meaning, fail to accord with it, or even deny it, and whether their minds often act contrary to the principles of the Dharma. When the mind goes against the Dharma principles, one's conduct will also go against the Dharma principles—how can such cultivation be effective? For example, the Buddha taught the precept against eating meat, but after hearing it, some people refuse to accord with this Dharma principle, racking their brains to find excuses for eating meat, unconsciously resisting this precept, and as a result never break the habit of eating meat throughout their whole lives. In such a case, what effect can cultivation possibly have? The same applies to the principles of the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna: if the mind refuses to accord with them and always consciously or unconsciously resists and defies them, then one's conduct will never change, running contrary to the Buddha's teachings, and in that case even a lifetime of studying Buddhism will yield no results. If, after studying the Buddha-dharma, the seven enlightenment-factors have not arisen, then the cultivation is ineffective. One should take responsibility for oneself, frequently introspect on one's own mind, examine one's own mind, and admonish one's own mind.

After studying the Buddha-dharma, if one accords with the principles of the Buddha-dharma, one will negate a great many non-Buddhist teachings and negate a great many worldly habits and customs. If one still fervently pursues non-Buddhist teachings and worldly affairs, or even increases one's non-Buddhist views and worldly views, then it can be affirmed that such a person has not at all accorded with the principles of the Buddha-dharma, does not follow the Buddha's teachings, and has meager good roots. If there has been no progress in studying Buddhism over a long period, with no obvious results, there must certainly be a reason for it—it is only that one's mind is lazy and unwilling to reflect and examine oneself, one's worldly habits are very heavy, one has no aspiration or wish for the Buddha-dharma, has not genuinely given rise to the bodhi vow, and does not take responsibility for one's own birth-and-death. If one has not produced pleasant feelings in the study and cultivation of the Buddha-dharma, then one has no motivation or interest in cultivation; ordinarily one takes worldly affairs as the mainstay, with the mind firmly locked onto worldly matters, not according with the Buddha-dharma.

Some people cultivate with great motivation, secretly vowing in their hearts: "I must surpass everyone and be number one; I must win everyone's attention, admiration, and worship; I must let everyone know how truly capable I am; I must rise above the crowd; I..." This "I" is infinitely numerous. Cultivating with these infinitely many "I"s, one cultivates very fast, and before long one can become possessed by demons, receive the blessing of māras, and in future lives may become sons and grandsons of māras, or may cultivate merit and become an asura, fighting with people all day long, insisting on competing to be number one, full of combative spirit.

Original text: (The Buddha said) 彼菩萨得身心乐已。依身心乐。观所说法。如向思惟。一切诸法。观察内心。三昧境界像。能信诸法。离于思惟。弥勒。诸菩萨等如是观彼三昧镜像。可知彼义。觉观思惟。忍悕见意。知觉现前。弥勒。是名我说菩萨修行毗婆舍那。弥勒。诸菩萨等应当如是善知毗婆舍那。

Explanation: After the bodhisattva cultivates śamatha and vipaśyanā and attains bodily and mental bliss, relying on and according with the dharma of attaining bliss in body and mind, he continues to deeply observe this dharma, following the direction the dharma points to and deliberating on all dharmas (the self-nature tathāgatagarbha); at this point he attains meditative absorption (samādhi). Then he observes the image of the samādhi realm that appears within the mind, and can believe and accept that all dharmas (the self-nature tathāgatagarbha) are free from all deliberation, beyond the reach of deliberation, unborn and undying, existing independently. Maitreya, when the bodhisattvas observe in this way the mirror image of samādhi that appears within their own minds, they can know the meaning of all dharmas, the mind can accept and acknowledge that all dharmas are unborn and undying, and the wisdom of the patience with the non-arising of dharmas manifests before them. Maitreya, this is what I call the method by which bodhisattvas cultivate contemplative wisdom. Maitreya, the bodhisattvas should thus well understand vipaśyanā (contemplative wisdom).

The meaning of this passage is that one must first attain śamatha and bliss, accord with the Dharma meaning, and then observe in accordance with the Dharma meaning; only then can contemplative wisdom arise, and samādhi arise. Without śamatha, there can be no observation, for a scattered and distracted mind cannot focus and cannot constitute observation. Therefore they are connected: śamatha is a cessation that accords with the principles, and vipaśyanā is observation built upon śamatha; apart from observation there is no śamatha, and apart from śamatha there is no vipaśyanā—śamatha and vipaśyanā operate together, the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā. This is the main purport of cultivation, the fundamental method for realizing all things; apart from this, the realm of samādhi cannot be attained.