The Causes of Difficulty in Cultivating Meditative Concentration

Greed means craving and grasping. When craving is severed, the karma of the three realms is ended. When the craving for desire is severed, the bonds of the desire realm are severed; otherwise, one cannot escape the desire realm and cannot attain the meditative concentration of the first dhyāna. Those with severe craving for desire not only cannot attain the first dhyāna, but also cannot attain the preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) of the desire realm, and may not even attain the coarser, shallower levels of concentration in the desire realm. The moment a thought stirs, concentration vanishes—it is that serious. Those who complain that meditative concentration is difficult to cultivate should examine whether the thoughts in their minds are tranquil (praśama). If the thoughts are not tranquil, then enduring the pain of sitting and forcibly cultivating concentration is useless.