The Significant Role of Dhyāna

All levels of fruition attainments are states of samadhi; therefore, they must all possess the realm of meditative concentration and the realm of wisdom—neither can be omitted.

Once, while I was conversing with someone and simultaneously sewing monastic robes, I discovered that the robe had been sewn inside out. Even a simple task like sewing, which requires almost no deliberate thought, went wrong due to insufficient concentration. So how could something as monumental as severing the view of self and realizing the mind’s nature—a matter greater than heaven itself—be achieved without meditative concentration? How could it be so effortless?

When I have many tasks at hand, my mind becomes unsettled. At such times, when I attempt to organize manuscripts, my thoughts become disordered and unclear. I then have no choice but to sit quietly for a while to calm my mind before proceeding to proofread the manuscripts. Therefore, how could matters as critical as severing the view of self and realizing the mind—issues concerning life and death across countless eons—be resolved without meditative concentration?