Theoretical Realization and Practical Realization

Content Summary

The content of this book concerning intellectual understanding (jie wu) and realization (zheng wu) has been excerpted from a four-hundred-thousand-character work on the nature and characteristics of the manas, and compiled specially into this monograph. There are three purposes in editing this book: first, to draw sufficient attention and emphasis from the community of Buddhist learners; second, to clarify the easily confused points in the cultivation and realization of the Buddha-dharma, so that everyone may have a genuine refuge on the path of Buddhist practice and realization; third, to guide everyone to practice diligently with a pragmatic attitude and a spirit of high responsibility toward themselves and toward Buddhism, not falling into superficial knowledge and views, which would give rise to the obstruction of arrogance on the path, misleading oneself and misleading others.

Nowadays the Buddhist community seems to be gradually placing more emphasis on actual practice, and its slogans and stated aims also call for genuine realization, yet in substance they still do not involve actual practice and genuine realization, nor do they know what actual practice is or what genuine realization is. If one's practice does not involve meditative concentration (samādhi), and has not deeply permeated the manas, it is all unreal practice—like duckweed drifting unsteadily on the water—and the result is only understanding without realization, yet everyone believes it to be realization. If this continues, the superficially flourishing Buddhism will gradually decline; people will practice blindly without knowing what they are cultivating, and there will be neither practice nor realization—so much so that even intellectual understanding will vanish without a trace, let alone realization. If things go on like this, the true dharma of realization will be cut off and lost, or even drowned by superficial ways of learning Buddhism, with no one actually benefiting anymore, and the raft of the Buddha-dharma will no longer be able to ferry sentient beings across. Therefore it is necessary to cry out here for genuine realization and to advocate actual practice, in order to fulfill the Buddha's original intent, to rescue and deliver those whose good roots, merit, and conditions are complete so they may swiftly attain accomplishment, delivering themselves and delivering others.