In the State of Buddha-Recollection Samādhi, Will Contemplating the Meaning of the Dharma Cause Meditative Concentration to Disappear?

Ven. Shi Ruyuan said: When one has genuinely cultivated profound meditative absorption (samādhi), contemplating any Buddhist dharma will not cause it to disappear; the contemplation of dharma meanings is all accomplished within samādhi. When cultivating the recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi (buddhānusmṛti-samādhi), upon encountering the great and small matters of the world, one keeps the Buddha in mind at all times, with every thought and every moment mindful of the Buddha. In this way, the thought of recollecting the Buddha will not disappear. If one's meditative concentration is insufficient or absent, and the thought of recollecting the Buddha becomes scattered, the state of samādhi will certainly disappear, and one will no longer be able to continue the recollection of the Buddha.

Assessment: Because Ven. Shi Ruyuan's meditative concentration is relatively deep, she contemplates dharma meanings within the recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi, and her state of meditative absorption does not disappear. Others may not necessarily be able to maintain their state of concentration. If one's recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi is relatively shallow, then after contemplating dharma meanings for a long time, the power of concentration will also weaken, and may even disappear. After cultivating the recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi, one must also carefully and cautiously maintain it; the time spent contemplating the Buddha's teachings should not be too long, and both concentration and wisdom must be attended to. Especially after worldly matters increase in the mind, the recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi will fade or disappear.

The Buddha required his disciples to cultivate with the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā. When wisdom is used extensively, one should strengthen the cultivation of concentration; when concentration is deep and the mind becomes sunk, one should quickly cultivate wisdom. Leaning toward either side is not good. If one leans toward concentration, the mind will become dull and ignorant; if one leans toward wisdom, it becomes wild wisdom, of no benefit to practice. Only cultivating both together is correct cultivation, and progress is fastest. The contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) experiences written by some people in the past were all contemplations done in a state of shallow concentration or no concentration; in essence, they were merely understanding and analysis of dharma meanings, with little inner stirring, so their mental conduct also underwent no change—after several years, they remained the same as before.

This issue is something that those who are about to attain the recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi, or who have already attained it, should pay attention to. As for those whose recollection of the Buddha has not yet shown results, or who have not even found a point of entry, they should first focus on how to recollect the Buddha effectively—why their own recollection of the Buddha has not been effective—and find the causes and resolve the problems with their recollection of the Buddha. They should not spend their energy inquiring into problems that can only arise after accomplishing the recollection of the Buddha. Not knowing how to resolve the difficulties currently faced, yet being interested in matters that come after accomplishment, and being oblivious to the fire burning one's eyebrows—this is a sign of not knowing the suffering of the world. Many people are in the midst of suffering yet unaware of the suffering, lacking cognitive wisdom.