Impartation: Zen Grandmaster Wu Chueh Miao-Tien, the 85th-generation Grandmaster of the Zen School
The most important goal of spiritual practice is to “enlighten the heart and witness the true nature, witness the true nature and attain Buddhahood.” This is the ultimate purpose of cultivating the Buddhism.
How does one become a Buddha or a Bodhisattva? Simply follow Shifu’s (Grandmaster Wu Chueh Miao-Tien) guidance. Shifu will lead everyone step-by-step toward the holy state.
“Buddha” resides in the formless realm of reality, while “human” resides in the tangible and formful realm of phenomena. These are two different realms of Dharma. Therefore, the most important task is how to move from the realm of phenomena to the realm of reality, and this is what practitioners should understand and pursue.
Reading scriptures is not cultivation; true cultivation lies in implementing the teachings
Traditional methods of practice, such as reading scriptures, chanting Buddha’s name, and reciting mantras, cannot lead us to enlightenment or the attainment of supreme Bodhi (Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi). Why? Many people think that reading Buddhist scriptures is practice itself, but I believe that reading scriptures is not true practice; it is merely understanding the doctrines of Buddhism.
However, after understanding the teachings of Buddhism, one should go further and truly engage in substantive practice so that one can achieve enlightenment and attain the fruition of Buddhahood or Bodhisattva. It is not merely what most people assume—that “reading sutras, chanting, reciting the Buddha’s name, or performing morning and evening rituals constitutes real practice.”
Of course, these are also methods of practice, but they are all expedient means and cannot lead to the attainment of Bodhisattvahood or Buddhahood; because they are all practices within the phenomenal realm, without transcendence. And practicing within the phenomenal realm means remaining a “human,” which leads to samsara and prevents one from accomplishing the supreme Bodhi. The so-called supreme Bodhi is Buddha.
Therefore, spiritual practice must be authentic. How should one practice? First, one must attain enlightenment; otherwise, it will become a passive ” practice for the sake of practice.”
Upon attaining true enlightenment, one enters a state of expectation—an aspiration for the “true self” to transcend birth and death. Through spiritual cultivation and realization, one attains a holy state and is no longer subject to samsara. This is the correct practice.
How can one transcend the phenomenal realm to cultivate oneself? First, one must understand what the phenomenal realm is. The phenomenal realm is the current earth’s space and time. To enter the realm of reality, which is an infinitely vast void, one must transcend it through Zen meditation.
That is to say, only after entering deep meditation (dhyana) can one break through the stresses and interferences of the phenomenal realm to enter the formless realm and the realm of reality. Only then can one perceive one’s true nature and attain Buddhahood.
Zen meditation is not just sitting still; it requires specific methods to lead one into deep meditation. Once in this state, one can transcend the phenomenal realm, transcend the “human” world.
Because the “Buddha” does not reside within the “human” world, but in the realm of reality—another Pure Land of the Buddha. Therefore, spiritual cultivation must involve Zen meditation, and specifically the kind of meditation that is capable of transcending the phenomenal realm.
So how do we achieve it? First, you must go beyond the conscious mind. During meditating, keep your mind completely empty and stop the movement of the thinking mind. In other words, cultivation should not rely on conscious thought; instead, you should resonate through the heart, utilizing spiritual power and concentration to enter deep meditation.
Focusing to empty the mind; entering deep meditation to transcend space and time
As for how to focus, there is always a method. Before entering deep meditation, you must first know how to silence the conscious mind and eliminate wandering thoughts.
Most people fail to enter deep meditation because their minds are filled with wandering thoughts. To silence these distractions, the most common method taught is breath counting—counting one breath for every cycle of inhalation and exhalation, from one to ten, and then starting over. In reality, this is much like counting sheep when you can’t sleep at night; you count and count yet sleep never comes. Breath counting is the same: you count until the end, but you still have not entered deep meditation.
True cultivation requires leaving the conscious mind behind. However, the act of counting one, two, three, …keeps you attached to that very consciousness. By the time you finish counting, your conscious mind has still not reached the state of stillness.
Shifu’s method is to “consolidate the spirit and focus on the chakra.” This is because the more concentrated your spiritual power becomes, the emptier your conscious mind will be. This focus generates a powerful energy field in the brain that naturally overrides the memories that trigger stray thoughts. However, without heartfelt focus, these thoughts will resurface or even multiply. Therefore, absolute concentration and spiritual focus are essential.
This is why I repeatedly emphasize: “In Zen meditation, you must consolidate your spirit to empty the mind. ” Cultivating the spiritual body during Zen meditation is very important.
If you want to attain enlightenment in spiritual practice, you must meditate. The key to Zen meditation is the strength of concentration, which has the power to cause the brain’s memories to recede. Once these memories fade, you can enter a state of deep meditation.
How do we make the brain’s memories vanish? It is achieved through the power of consolidated spirit. By following the methods transmitted by Shifu to focus on the chakras, wandering thoughts will naturally cease, allowing you to enter the state of deep meditation directly. At that moment, you are no longer within time and space of the earth; instead, you enter the void, the so-called Supreme Dharma Realm.
The Supreme Dharma Realm is a realm without obstruction; in other words, once you are in a state of deep meditation, all hindrances disappear. But the most crucial question is: what should you do once you are there? You must never think of yourself. It is vital to empty yourself completely. This is of the utmost importance.
Incarnation for spiritual cultivation; liberation to break the cycle of Samsara
Back then, when the Buddha was a prince. He left His palace at the age of twenty-nine and came to a forest dozens of kilometers away to seek liberation from the suffering cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death. He cultivated under immortal masters, searching for the way to achieve liberation.
Therefore, when we practice the Buddhist Dharma, we should empathize with the Buddha’s painstaking efforts. If we can truly feel this connection, our practice will not falter. Perhaps, during meditation, we may swiftly receive the Buddha’s blessing, that is, the Buddha’s light.
The reason one fails to achieve enlightenment is internal darkness because their spirituality is covered by karma, like the sun obscured by dark clouds. When the heart (spirituality) is in darkness, one’s destiny is often rugged. Similarly, when the souls of all beings on the earth are in darkness, it affects the operation of the whole universe, causing natural disasters and upheavals. This is caused by the collective karma of all beings.
Therefore, if natural and man-made disasters occur frequently around the world, or if we feel that our own luck is persistently poor, it is because our hearts are shrouded in darkness. These natural disasters and upheavals are the manifestation of our collective karma.
Conversely, if everyone can cultivate a heart of kindness and compassion—living and acting with a clear conscience—the world will resonate with this friendly positive energy field. Accordingly, disasters can be averted.
In other words, as long as our hearts are pure and tranquil, our destiny will change, and it will get better and better. Our bodies will become healthier, and our hearts will be free from stress.
Once we attain the enlightenment of why we practice, we will be filled with profound joy. If we do not feel this inner joy springing from within, it indicates that we have yet to truly awaken.
Our reincarnation into this human world lasts only a few short decades—at most, a century. What is the purpose? It is to cultivate the Dharma. Because we did not achieve enlightenment in our past lives, we have returned to this human form to practice once again. Only as a “human” can one truly practice the Buddhist Dharma. If we gain this human life but fail to appreciate practicing the Dharma and ultimately fall into the realms below “humanity”, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Let me emphasize once more: the sole purpose of our reincarnation into this world is to cultivate the Buddhist Dharma. Why? Because we did not achieve enlightenment in our past lives; therefore, we have returned to this human realm to practice once again and liberate ourselves from the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Our purpose is not to amass great wealth. We must, therefore, awaken as early as possible.
Translation: Chueh Miao Gong-Ming and Chueh Miao Dao-Lian
