How to Make Pure Mindfulness Mature and Continuous

When walking, sitting, lying down, and going about daily activities, there is a pure thought; but a pure thought is not just one thought—there are at least two, and three is normal. If you want to have meditative concentration, then whatever you are doing in your mind, you must have one primary thought—that is, the focal point. Keeping this primary thought sustained without losing it is Chan and samādhi; the other thoughts can simply be carried along lightly. This indeed requires a certain degree of skill, and it can be practiced as a fixed course of training. Once you become familiar with it, the mind becomes relaxed and effortless. There are not many special techniques: by diminishing your attachment to worldly dharmas, the pure thought can be sustained. The manas takes this thought as primary and gives only a small portion of attention to other dharmas, and the mind consciousness accordingly settles on this thought as well, so attention to other matters becomes slight and mild. In daily life, reduce your interests; for unimportant matters, just adopt a perfunctory attitude and be done with them.