Only with the Perfection of Samadhi Can One Swiftly Attain the Fruits of Enlightenment

The accounts recorded in the Agama Sutras and the Mahaparinirvana Sutra are authentic. It is true that some non-Buddhists, after cultivating the four dhyanas and eight samadhis, heard the Buddha expound the Dharma and, after contemplating for merely a few minutes, severed the view of self and self-attachment, becoming fourth-stage arhats who then entered nirvana without residue. These non-Buddhists were truly extraordinary, and the merits of the four dhyanas and eight samadhis are truly remarkable. Many of us have listened to the Buddha’s teachings for a lifetime yet remain unable to sever the view of self. Yet, those non-Buddhists, possessing the four dhyanas and eight samadhis, required only a few minutes or even less time to not only sever the view of self but also self-attachment, immediately entering nirvana without residue—truly inconceivable.

Consider why they possessed such sharp faculties. It is because, during their cultivation of the four dhyanas and eight samadhis, their mental faculty had already been subdued. Only one erroneous view in understanding remained unclarified and unsevered. Once this wrong view was eradicated, all afflictions and attachments fell away instantly. This is the merit of the four dhyanas and eight samadhis.

From this, it is evident that subduing the afflictions of the mental faculty is closely related to the four dhyanas and eight samadhis. Thus, meditative concentration is of paramount importance.