The Samādhi State of Mutually Arising Concentration and Wisdom

This state of realization arises from generating wisdom through relatively shallow meditative concentration (dhyāna), then generating deep concentration through wisdom, then generating deep wisdom through deep concentration, entering meditative absorption (samādhi), and thereby opening up the realm of great wisdom.

After sitting down, cross your legs, take several deep breaths, let the breath sink to the dantian, and after the mind has settled, empty the mind, and contemplate the empty mind as utterly empty. After the mind has settled further, a questioning doubt arises—this questioning doubt is the very question you now need to resolve, such as: Why is the aggregate of form empty? Why is the supreme faculty (indriya) empty? Why are the six sense objects illusory? Why are the six consciousnesses illusory? And so on. Each time you may only bring out one simple question; when concentration and wisdom are insufficient, do not greedily take on too many or too deep questions, otherwise your power of concentration will regress, and there will be no wisdom either.

Just like this, carrying the questioning doubt, do not rush to investigate; do not let the mind consciousness stir, do not deliberate—just keep gazing at the question. As you keep gazing like this, the power of concentration grows deeper and deeper, and at a certain point, the mind will naturally begin to stir, wanting to understand this question—this is the manas gathering momentum and stirring. If there is an obvious stirring, it is the stirring of the mind consciousness, which must be stopped; do not engage in shallow deliberation of the mind consciousness—it is of no benefit to the matter. The stirring of the manas is extremely hidden and difficult to observe, deep and deeper still, but it can solve real problems and open up profound wisdom.

When the manas stirs a thought, there is no language, no words, no sound—silent and mysterious. Slowly, it seems a faint flame wants to appear, emerging dimly; the screen of the brain is about to show light, and the answer to the question is about to emerge; then a little appears vaguely and indistinctly, then a little more, until more and more answers are on the verge of emerging, but they are not yet clear enough—still vague and hazy—but there is already light, and there is already confidence.

Continue in deep concentration, investigating subtly and secretly; the train of thought becomes clearer and clearer, the mind becomes brighter and brighter, more and more lucid, more and more clear; the brain is clear and transparent, the heart is joyful, and one enters into meditative absorption (samādhi). Until finally all the answers have fully emerged, the mind is clear, and there are no more doubts; emerge from samādhi and hand the whole process over to the mind consciousness to deliberate and organize, sorting out the content with rigorous logic; the manas then confirms it, the matter is concluded, and concentration and wisdom are perfectly harmonized without obstruction.

With the power of this samādhi, one can thoroughly investigate all difficult problems and challenges, break through all ignorance, and buddhahood will be within reach—let alone becoming a bodhisattva or an arhat. The only fear is that sentient beings lack sufficient merit; the more insufficient the merit, the harder it is to generate merit, the harder it is to generate concentration, and the harder it is to generate wisdom—this is a vicious cycle. How to break through it, each person should deliberate for themselves.