Questions and Answers on Attaining Meditative Concentration

Question: If the qi channels (meridians) have not been opened through, can one still attain meditative concentration (samādhi)? 

Answer: As long as the qi channels do not present major obstructions, one can attain meditative concentration; it is not necessarily the case that only a body in good condition can attain it. Attaining meditative concentration results from a combination of factors, not from a single cause. 

Question: What kind of state is excessive blankness in preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi)? 

Answer: The state of excessive blankness in preparatory concentration occurs when one cultivates to the stage of preparatory concentration, where the mind is without thought and without conceptualization, and one has cultivated an empty samādhi; as a result, one enters meditative concentration without any thoughts for a long time within preparatory concentration, even remaining in concentration for several days or over ten days. This is pure meditative concentration, without thinking or contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), and without questioning doubt, so it has nothing to do with wisdom.