Chapter 3. How to cultivate and realize Buddhist Dharma
Up to now, I have explained mainly the true form of cultivating Buddhism. Indeed, what is cultivating and realizing Buddhist Dharma? It’s a movement from not being attached to anything, to attaining the area of true vacuum space. We also mentioned “go beyond and breaking”. The area of true vacuum space is not the ultimate goal of Buddhism. There is still a “go beyond and shattering the emptiness”. Through manifesting from “go beyond and shattering the emptiness” to “the form and emptiness are no distinct”, from that area, return to the area of matter to manifest a person, an animal, a being, or manifest a heavenly being in the area of light and sound, or manifest in the undulation area, or in any area, manifest any living being. This is a state of returning Bodhisattva after attaining “go beyond and shattering the emptiness”. He can manifest and appear in all areas.
How can we cultivate in order not to be affected and lured by all things in the area of light and sound or the undulation area? How can we go through the tunnel of time and space and return to the area of true vacuum space without being affected by other areas? This is the first step. The whole process of “returning” is called the conditioned Dharma in Buddhism. Once we go beyond and break through the area of true vacuum space, we enter the unconditioned Dharma. Because you no longer have a “self”. Thus, there is no “cultivation and realization”. There is no “self”, thus there is nothing to be cultivated. This is the starting of unconditioned Dharma. Entering unconditioned Dharma depends solely on interdependent origination. You will manifest based on the interdependent origination and connections, as well as sentient beings’ needs. For example, you will manifest yourself as a planet if needed. What sentient beings need is another state, thus, now we only discuss the state of the conditioned Dharma.
The 1st. how to cultivate and realize enlightenment
Let’s talk about how to cultivate and realize enlightenment. When we start to cultivate Buddhist Dharma, we will certainly put ourselves in the area of matter. Thus, through what cultivation method can we realize and enter the area of light and sound? First, we need continuous concentration up to a state of completely forgetting oneself. Only when we are very focused sitting here can our Chi accumulate in our channels, and form a ball of energy. In Buddhism, the heart and Chi are not distinct. For ordinary people, the heart is Chi, but it’s only in the area of matter. From a human point of view, we can say “the heart is Chi”. Because of the continuous “birth and extinction” of our physical body, we will feel that our Chi and heart are strongly interdependent – we will lose consciousness at the moment we can’t breathe. Human life is between inhalation and exhalation. The heart and Chi are closely interrelated. Thus when at the beginning we mentioned that the heart is Chi, that is an easy way to explain their relation.
For example, in the alchemy of Chinese Taoism, they also accumulate energy. They concentrate on some acupuncture points, and by being conscious and focusing on them, they can then transform the energy obtained into the chrysopoeia. The volume of this hollow energy ball becomes smaller and smaller, and it becomes more and more dense. Then, it will explode and become the inner chrysopoeia. The highest level of chrysopoeia is called cinnabar. The cinnabar is “yang shen” in Taoism. With this, they can cultivate a light body, just like what Buddhism describes. We call this light being “shen xian”. Although this light body isn’t as easy to be damaged as matter, and it has super-mundane power, this light body is still an image in the area of light and sound. It still has “birth and extinction” and reincarnation, because it’s still within time and space. The area of light and sound and the area of matter are all within time and space.
Why do we talk about Taoism? Because we can understand many Taoist knowledge and concepts. Taoism focuses more on maintaining our good health and the transformation of the Chi channels. Thus, I discuss a little bit from Taoist’s perspective. In Buddhism, to complete the energy accumulation also relies on the concentration power, to reach the state of forgetting “oneself”. There must be a state of Samadhi. To reach the state of Samadhi needs strong concentration to reach forgetting “oneself”.
The big difference between Buddhism and Taoism is that the starting guiding point for Buddhism is “no self”. This means that according to Buddhism, at the instant of cultivation, the unceasing birth and extinction of the body and mind is only an illusion. It means this consciousness is also in the birth and extinction instantly, as well as the body. They are all an illusion.
three chi channels and seven chakras
For Vipassana, there are three chi channels and seven chakras. For Taoism, there are eight extra meridians. The three chi channels and seven chakras in Vipassana are boundlessly large and limitlessly small. This means the chi channels and chakras – we don’t know how big they are, they are so big without any boundaries, and they are also so small that they can’t be measured. Thus, chi channels and chakras are not only restricted within our body. Our chi channels – the middle channel (zhong mai) connects Bai Hui acupoint to Hui Yin acupoint. It can connect from the sky to the earth. It is not only limited within our physical body.
Therefore, Buddhism cultivation, when reaching the state of “forgetting self” through the concentration power, is much deeper and wider than the Taoists’ focus on self-attachment, and becoming immortal. Buddhism cultivation can create a mind-made body. Mind-made body means many transformation bodies, because the starting point is “no self”. And Taoism has a “self”. Mind-made body is infinite in terms of the stages of realization. Thus, practitioners can enter different worlds. Unlike Taoism, there is only a “Yang Shen”.
Practitioners who are affected by the area of matter are very attached to exterior fixed forms. Our mind is very attached to gain and loss. The exterior shapes and forms of all materials are in the cycle of formation, existing, decay, and disappearance, in constant and instant change. But we are not fully aware. Therefore, when things start to change, our mind will be affected. This is why we could be very affected in the area of matter.
Now we are talking about if our mind is in the area of true vacuum space, why are we always dragged back to the material space? Because we are so attached to material forms. We believe consciousness is instantly born and extinct, based only on some medical knowledge. Our physical metabolism is constantly within ‘birth and extinction’. If we look from the area of the true vacuum space, and if we believe this physical body of continuous birth and extinction is us, we will then return to the area of matter instantly, and we can’t be pacified and stay still in the area of true vacuum space. Buddha said that this physical body and mind that is continuously born and extinct is not us, we are Buddha. The body and mind are only an illusion, a fake projection. Buddha called this an illusion. It’s only a projection from the area of true vacuum space to the area of matter. But we need this illusory projection to return to the area of true vacuum space, to know the truth.
But now we are all trapped in and affected by the area of matter, we all believe this body and mind are ourselves, thus, we can only stay in the area of matter, we can’t return to the area of true vacuum space. And we can’t reach the state of the eighth stage Bodhisattva.
When Buddhist cultivation enters the area of light and sound, this is the starting of the state of “Samadhi”. If our body can’t transform the Chi channels, if our body is still at the level of continuous Chi flowing, we can’t be in Samadhi, because if our Chi is constantly circulating and flowing, we are not stable. Thus, we must continuously accumulate energy, to a certain level, just like Taoists practice. The volume of energy will slowly decrease and the density will increase, then the hollow energy ball will produce an explosion. After this explosion, our Chakra path will sparkle. Once we reach the state of light, light starts to solidify and become unmoving. We feel that light is unmoving. Indeed, the light is still moving, it is still trembling and has the cycle of birth and extinction, but for human’s coarse feeling and perception, we feel that the light is unmoving.
Therefore, once our Chi channels transform from energy to light, we start to be in Samadhi. This is why we always say that we can’t enter Samadhi during meditation, because we are still in the state of Chi flowing. People who practice Qi Gong know that they can initiate their Chi flow, or be aware of their Chi circulation in their body, and some Chi movement as well. This is a very beginning state. As long as Chi channels are still flowing and circulating, we can’t enter Samadhi. We must transform Chi into energy and transform energy into light. Once we enter the state of light, we can enter Samadhi.
Actually, from the angle of the area of true vacuum space, Chi is also unmoving. This is like a Zen story. Master Hui Neng (the sixth patriarch of Zen school), when he went to Guang Xiao temple in Guangzhou, he heard two monks discussing: “the wind blew the flag, the flag moved”. Two monks argued about “was it the flag that moved or the wind that moved.” At the end, Hui Neng said, “it was your heart that moved.” We feel the circulation of our Chi channels because our heart is moving, because our consciousness is very attached and discriminating. Thus, it’s hard to enter Samadhi in the state of “Chi”. Thus, most cultivation schools start by regulating Chi.
When our Chi accumulates energy deeply in our Chakras, with the increase in density of energy, we can calm down even up to enter that state of ‘forgetting self’. This means when our Chi forms an energy ball, we start to be calm. When the energy ball keeps accumulating and concentrating into a point, we can enter an eluding state or even the state of “forgetting self”. When the energy transforms into light, we can enter the state of Samadhi, because light could be unmoving.
When we just enter the state of light, this is the starting of illuminating mind according to Zen school. However, this beginning “illuminating mind” stays in a state, as what master Shen Xiu described: “The body is the tree of enlightenment, the mind is like a clear mirror stand; polish and clean it diligently time and time again, not letting it gather dust.” When we just enter the state of light, this light is not truly empty yet, this is described by the following: the mind is like a clear mirror stand; polish and clean it diligently time and time again, not letting it gather dust. Once this light gradually transforms into emptiness, and enters the area of true vacuum space, we can reach the state described by Master Hui Neng: “Enlightenment originally has no tree, and a clear mirror is not a stand. Originally there’s not a single thing, where can dust accumulate?” We can enter this state.
Four Stages of Transformation of the State of Bright Illumination
This is a transformation state, from the area of light and sound to the area of true vacuum space. If we can attain this cultivation level, when we read the Zen classics, we will right away understand very clearly.
The transformation of the area of light and sound is basically the transformation of the state of bright illumination. There are four stages.
First, we start from the visible lights: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple. Then we enter the state of invisible light. We can see light that we weren’t able to see before. Some people with special capacity of growth can suddenly transform into the light of true nature and golden light, and see their own red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple light transforming into the light of true nature and golden light.
The second stage is from “light” to “aware and clear”. This means that if you can no longer see the light, but are very aware and clear, this is a feeling of being very aware and clear. At this moment, you can attain an extreme tranquil feeling and perception, a very deep serenity.
The third stage is from “aware and clear” to ’empty and aware”. What does “empty and aware” mean? For example, in the morning you woke up and opened your eyes saying: “It’s dawn”. But what kind of brightness is “the sky is dawning”? It’s hard to explain, just simply, “the sky’s dawning”. This is “empty and aware”. From “dawn” to “emptiness”.
There is one more sequence in our cultivation process: a transformation state in the area of light and sound. These are the four stages. When entering “emptiness”, the practitioners can break and go beyond the discrimination between brightness and darkness. Brightness and darkness are opposed. We can suddenly see brightness from darkness, and see darkness from brightness. Suddenly, we can break and go beyond this discrimination. At this moment, if we break and go beyond this discrimination, people who have entered the area of true vacuum space will pass the stage directly.
Along with our gradual cultivation from the area of matter to the area of true vacuum space, during this process of traversing, our power of Samadhi will gradually increase. Our tranquility and joy will gradually increase. And we also gradually approach our liberation.
Ok, now let’s take a break.