First, Make Good Use of Dry Samādhi to Transform Body and Mind

Question: Is it the case that meditation without right thinking is wrong meditation (mithyā-samādhi)? Sometimes I encounter a situation where I feel dull and my thoughts cannot turn—I cannot think, and I cannot practice recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti) either. In such a situation, should I leave it behind?

Answer: Meditative concentration (samādhi) is very important. It can clarify and purify one's mind, subdue afflictions and afflictive obstructions (kleśāvaraṇa), and enable the mind to rest steadily upon the Dharma and engage in deliberation (manasikāra), thereby giving rise to great wisdom.

There are many kinds of meditative concentration, and there are also various transitions at different levels. At present, simply having meditative concentration is already very precious. Once the mind is stable, you need only find the right moment to transform the mind into a state of concentration capable of contemplating the Dharma. There is no need to deliberately loathe or avoid inert concentration; make good use of it to transform body and mind, and then change the manner of your meditative concentration.