Samādhi: The Product of Integrating Concentration and Wisdom

Whether it is the contemplation of the sun in the Amitāyurdhyāna Sūtra, the contemplation of the white skeleton, or any other form of contemplation practice, when one ultimately attains accomplishment, the scene appears spontaneously without deliberate mental application by the consciousness. Of course, if deliberate mental application is employed, the scene becomes even more distinct.

The so-called accomplishment means that it arises naturally and spontaneously; this is called samādhi. If it does not arise spontaneously and naturally but requires deliberate mental application by the consciousness to manifest, that does not count as accomplishment and is not samādhi. What is called samādhi is a very deep state of meditative concentration, but it does not exclude the simultaneous presence of a state of wisdom. The organic integration of wisdom and meditative concentration is called samādhi; the absence of either one renders it not samādhi. Within this samādhi, there is already a relatively deep level of meditative concentration, which necessarily involves the training of the manas (mental faculty) to maturity. Once the manas is trained to maturity and can function continuously, this scene manifests uninterruptedly in the mind at all times.

If one’s meditative power has not been cultivated to accomplishment, then samādhi has not been attained, and the manas has not been successfully conditioned (perfumed). It merely indicates that the consciousness has become relatively proficient. When the proficient consciousness applies deliberate mental effort, it activates the manas, which then engages in deliberate mental application, after which the state manifests. However, such a state is not stable but intermittent; this meditative power is insufficient, and thus cannot be called samādhi.