The Three Trainings: Śīla, Samādhi, and Prajñā

The crucial part of Buddhist practice and realization is what the Buddha repeatedly taught us: the three undefiled studies of precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom. In the study of precepts, one must strictly uphold the precepts; only then can the mind become concentrated. After the mind is concentrated, there can be wisdom of contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā); when contemplative practice matures, the great wisdom of prajñā will arise. Having the great wisdom of prajñā is extremely important, for it can lead to liberation. The arising of prajñā wisdom depends on deep and subtle wisdom of contemplative practice; the attainment of contemplative wisdom relies on meditative concentration (samādhi), and the production of meditative concentration depends on the precepts. The three studies of precepts, concentration, and wisdom are linked ring by ring, and all are important—each link is tightly connected, and none can be lacking. None can be omitted or discarded; otherwise, there will be no genuine realization.

After meditative concentration has been cultivated, one must learn to transform it into the wisdom of contemplative practice, being adept at shifting the mind's thoughts; otherwise, meditative concentration will forever remain just meditative concentration, no different from the concentration of non-Buddhists. It will not give rise to prajñā wisdom, one will not be able to realize no-self, and one will not attain liberation and ease. Quite a few people are not interested in sitting quietly, because their minds are too scattered and distracted to sit still, and so they have no choice but to rely on concentration within movement. Yet the mind in stillness is not easy to grasp, and the mind in movement is even harder to grasp. Even if concentration within movement is well cultivated, that concentration is still shallower than concentration in stillness; the mind is coarse, thinking is not fine and meticulous, and the wisdom of contemplative practice is also crude and shallow, making genuine realization impossible. Therefore, concentration in stillness is both the foundation and the final refuge; great wisdom must arise from concentration in stillness. The patriarchs of all generations and all buddhas and bodhisattvas have been so.

Once concentration in stillness is well cultivated, thinking will become keen and subtle; whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, the mind will constantly abide in concentration. Afflictions can be subdued, the mind will be relaxed and joyful, and the mind's thoughts will naturally be mostly wholesome. Therefore, concentration in stillness is extremely important. This is a treasury of Dharma passed down by the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and by the great patriarchs and masters; one must cherish it and cultivate it well.