Spiritual Powers and the Power of the Path Are Incomparable to Worldly Pleasures

In the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment (Yuánjué jīng), the Buddha teaches us that in cultivation, the attainment of all meditative concentrations (samādhi) entirely relies on the practice of the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā and the dual operation of śamatha and vipaśyanā. There is no dry wisdom without meditative concentration, nor is there wrong concentration without wisdom. Only what is accomplished in this way is the samādhi of the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā, and by the power of this samādhi one can endlessly transform and manifest all dharmas of the world. Buddhas have the samādhi power of a Buddha, and bodhisattvas have the various samādhi powers corresponding to bodhisattvas; all Buddhas and bodhisattvas rely on these various samādhi powers to transform and accomplish all dharmas. For example, manifesting various Buddha-lands relies on samādhi power; accomplishing a great thousand-world relies on samādhi power; displaying various supernatural powers relies on samādhi power—all the supernatural powers of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas rely on samādhi power. 

Samādhi power cannot be separated from meditative concentration, nor can it be separated from wisdom. For example, an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva, through the display of supernatural power, can draw the waters of the four great oceans into his belly. The waters of the four great oceans are vast and boundless; our Earth, resting upon those waters, is like a tiny ball. Fish, shrimp, dragons, and crabs are all drawn into the bodhisattva's belly without any awareness. Another example: an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva holds sentient beings in one hand and lifts the Earth with the other, and the beings on Earth do not know they have left the Earth, thinking they are still on it; or the bodhisattva sends sentient beings to distant other celestial bodies, and the beings are likewise unaware. Bodhisattvas rely precisely on this profound and wondrous samādhi power, on wisdom and meditative concentration, to deliver and benefit sentient beings. 

We pursue the worldly pleasures of eating, drinking, and entertainment—wealth, sensual desire, fame, food, and sleep—and whether or not we obtain them in a lifetime of pursuit, it is all meaningless, utterly boring to the extreme. Look at how free and unimpeded the supernatural powers of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas are: they can manifest as much food and drink as they wish—food of a hundred flavors, a thousand flavors, a hundred million flavors—and all that they manifest they offer to hungry sentient beings, while they themselves have no need of food and drink. Yet we spend all day devoting our minds and energy to eating, drinking, and bodily functions—how utterly meaningless! Such a life is no different from that of ants, yet we are immersed in it, unable to extricate ourselves—how lacking in wisdom! If we devoted this time and energy to cultivating the Path instead, and accomplished the various samādhis, how free and liberated we would be. 

If you were to become an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva, your talent and achievement in almost any field would be nearly first in the world; your treasures would be indescribably abundant—precisely because you no longer need treasures, they would grow ever more abundant, to the point of being limitless, all used to benefit and deliver sentient beings. By this comparison it is plainly evident how narrow our vision is: we can only see this little bit before our eyes, and anything farther away, anything vaster, we simply do not know. Our vision must be long-term and ever more long-term; we must not fix our gaze on a single lifetime, half a lifetime, or merely the next few years, unable to consider or attend to anything farther beyond.

This is a matter of merit—short-sightedness like a mung bean is caused by a severe lack of merit. The higher you stand, the farther you see; the farther you see, the greater your capacity of mind becomes, and the faster and more directly you walk the path. With a clear goal, you will not be entangled by the scenery before your eyes; if you linger over the scenery in front of you, the road ahead cannot be traveled. On a long journey, do not cling endlessly to the scenery along the roadside; bravely stride forward with big steps. If you covet enjoyment and linger admiring the scenery, the road cannot be passed. Because of indulging in and craving the scenery, the journey is delayed, and then the enjoyments that should have been yours in future human lives will be lost and unattainable; if you ascend to the heavens and enjoy the celestial enjoyments there, then you will not get to enjoy those of other Buddha-lands. Therefore, no matter how wonderful the scenery before your eyes may be, do not let it affect your footsteps or make you stop; press on single-mindedly toward that highest goal, and the obstacles will be removed.