Cultivating Samādhi and Prajñā

Question: The disciple's understanding of the process of contemplating the breath: holding the breath is cultivating meditative concentration (samādhi), while being aware of the feelings of the physical body is cultivating wisdom. Is this understanding correct? 

Answer: Holding the breath is cultivating meditative concentration, and being aware of the feelings of the physical body is cultivating wisdom. However, when holding the breath, one must necessarily be knowing the breath, and knowing is wisdom. Although being aware of the feelings of the physical body is wisdom, it is a knowing endowed with wisdom; it is not merely being aware of the feelings of the physical body, but rather one must be aware of all the states of the physical body, yet without falling into the feelings, without being swayed by the feelings. One must see through the feelings, be without mind toward the feelings, break free from the feelings, and abandon the feelings—only then is it wisdom. 

The distinction between meditative concentration and wisdom is: when the mind is settled in one place without moving, or when there is no mind toward objects, no mental activity toward objects, and no knowing of objects, this is meditative concentration (dhyāna); wisdom is correct knowing, while wrong knowing is not wisdom. Knowing exclusively one dharma combines both concentration and wisdom. Once concentration is strengthened, one can know many dharmas throughout the whole body, with correct knowing directed toward the whole body, the mind not scattered, having a holistic view of the physical body. When one has a holistic view, it is easy to see the whole body clearly, recognize the truth, and give rise to wisdom.