To Study Buddhism, One Must First Establish a Solid Foundation in the Cultivation and Realization of the Śrāvaka-bhūmi

To subdue afflictions, elevate one's mind and nature, and cultivate the character of a sage or worthy one, one must begin with the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness (catvāri smṛty-upasthānāni), and begin with the various practices of śamatha and vipaśyanā. The path of śamatha-vipaśyanā is a long one, not a swift one. Only by contemplating and practicing in all directions and from all angles, cultivating meditative concentration, and subduing one's own mind can a person gradually transform and shed the ordinary mortal shell, acquiring the bones of a sage—renewed and replaced from the inside out—before one can become a true sage or worthy one, a guide and leader for sentient beings. Only after pulling one's own legs out of the mud can one lead and draw sentient beings with affinity out of the mire. If one is powerless to pull one's own legs out of the mire, how can one pull others out of it?

The Buddha said that the entire Buddhadharma is the One Buddha Vehicle—there is no second, and no third. The cultivation and realization of the stage of the śrāvakas is one part of the One Vehicle Dharma, the most foundational part, and also a very important part. The practice within this stage is the process of subduing and eliminating afflictions and gradually becoming accordant with sagely nature and buddha-nature; it is indispensable. If this foundation is not laid well, yet one single-mindedly insists on building a towering edifice, even if it could be completed, it would be a castle in the air, destined sooner or later to collapse. Therefore, the practice of all bodhisattvas must be down-to-earth: consolidate the foundation, attach importance to cultivating precepts, samādhi, and wisdom, and be diligent in extinguishing greed, hatred, and delusion. One must not merely shout slogans without any substantive means of practice, and still claim to be engaged in genuine and authentic cultivation.