Profound Contemplation Is Equivalent to Chan Meditation and Śamatha-Vipaśyanā

In worldly teachings there is a saying that refined contemplation can lead one into deep concentration. Refined contemplation means deep and subtle deliberation, through which one can attain meditative concentration (samādhi) and stillness—this is entering stillness through contemplation. From stillness one can also engage in deeper contemplation, so that stillness and contemplation are equally cultivated and mutually assist each other. When we read the sūtras, we can deeply and slowly ponder a single sentence or a single principle, concentrating all our attention on that sentence to bring forth the power of concentration. With the aid of this power of concentration, contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and deliberation can become extremely deep and subtle. One can then enter preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), and further enter the first dhyāna with initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra), as well as the concentration between the first and second dhyānas that has initial application without sustained examination; then, by extinguishing the initial application within that state of initial application without sustained examination, one can enter the second dhyāna.

In contemplative practice, when one deliberates deeply and subtly on a dharma principle, entering concentration becomes quick, the power of concentration rises quickly, and understanding the principles also comes quickly. While deliberating within concentration, both body and mind are joyful and one is full of energy. If you want to raise your power of concentration, you can find a time when no one will disturb you and engage in contemplative practice and deliberation for an hour or two; you will find that concentration and wisdom arise together, and body and mind become settled. If one truly has no way to cultivate concentration and cannot engage in deep, subtle deliberation and contemplative practice, it means one's merit is still insufficient; if merit is severely lacking, one will simply mark time without advancing. To increase merit, one must make great vows frequently, consider others more, harbor less selfishness and arrogance, and reduce afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa)—doing so will increase merit.

As for the dharma principles to be pondered deeply, the general direction should be the same for everyone; but the specific dharma principles each person faces are not entirely the same—everyone has doubts they currently cannot resolve. Suspend this doubt deeply in the mind, deliberate and contemplate, keeping every thought fixed on this doubt with an undistracted mind—this is concentration. With this concentration, one can then deliberate further in depth and subtlety, and the doubt will gradually be resolved.

As long as we cultivate our merit to fullness, cultivating concentration will not be difficult, and cultivating all dharmas will not be difficult either. If our pure great vows can be brought forth, the accumulation of merit will be swift; if our afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) and afflictions can be subdued, the accumulation of merit will also be swift. In this way, the blessing power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will be great, and our progress on the path will be rapid. Each of us should not have every thought revolve around "I," constantly saying "I," always trying to highlight and display ourselves in everything—in that case, the blessing power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will be very small. Because such a person is of little use to Buddhism or to sentient beings; even after receiving blessings, they would still act for themselves, thinking only of personal gain. For such people, the power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas simply cannot take effect.

Those who have not yet cultivated their power of concentration well should examine whether their merit is already complete, whether their afflictions and afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) have already lessened, whether there are still many things they crave within, many people, matters, and things they are attached to, many things they dwell on, whether they cannot let go of many things in daily life, whether their mind is filled with worldly dharmas in every thought and is not at peace. They should also examine whether their power of vow is insufficient, merely drifting through life following conditions, without direction or goal. After such examination, they must find ways to remedy these deficiencies and strive to eliminate their afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) and afflictions. If, after examination, they still cannot overcome them, they should recite the Śūraṅgama Mantra more, relying on the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma-protecting deities to bless them.

Our current goal of cultivation is to subdue our own afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) and afflictions, to examine ourselves more, find our own shortcomings, and cultivate ourselves. We should live together in harmony, being careful that our words do not hurt others. If others are at fault, try to help them with skillful means; if others are not at fault and we criticize and blame them, we will lose our own merit. It may benefit others, but we ourselves will have to bear a portion of the karma. Our merit is lost in every unintentional moment, yet we remain completely unaware. Always wanting to gain the upper hand and have the last word, with heavy selfishness and arrogance—this damages one's own merit. Humility and peacefulness are true blessings. Try as much as possible to subdue yourself; although subduing oneself is extremely difficult, it must still be done. Those with great merit have light afflictions and light arrogance. A person who can recognize that they have no few evil thoughts is a person with self-knowledge. Among the fifty mental factors of the mind consciousness, the unwholesome dharmas far outnumber the wholesome ones, so no one should think themselves very good, nor, brimming with self-confidence, believe that everything about themselves is good and correct—otherwise there will be no way to make further progress.