13. The Teaching of the Samādhi

Overall Teaching

The Buddha instructs Candraprabha on cultivating and demonstrating the wisdom of samādhi by developing an equal mind towards all dharmas without discrimination, eliminating deluded thoughts and greed, anger, and delusion. This practice involves meditating in secluded places, achieving wisdom, and embodying the practices of bodhisattvas and tathāgatas. Demonstrating samādhi includes continuous engagement in all samādhis, fostering great compassion, and understanding the non-existence of dharmas. The virtues of samādhi include immunity to harm, boundless powers, and unobstructed travel to buddha lands. Ultimately, the bodhisattva realises the nature of all dharmas, transcends discrimination, and attains the other shore of merit, following the buddha's teachings and avoiding frivolous arguments.

Summary

• The Buddha instructs Candraprabha on cultivating and demonstrating the wisdom of samādhi.

  • One cultivates an demondstrates the samādhi by giving rise to an equal mind towards all dharmas with no discrimination or duality, eliminating all deluded thoughts, discriminations, conceptualisations, grasping, and wrong views (i.e. against seeing the aggregates, elements, and sense bases as having a self).

  • One should eliminate negative traits by eradicating greed, anger, and delusion, achieving liberation through mindfulness and wisdom, and developing shame, modesty, and firmness.

  • One should practice in empty and secluded places, attain the stage of wisdom, avoid "coming and going" mentally, and embrace the practices of bodhisattvas and tathāgatas.

  • Further, one demonstrates this practice by continuing to engage in all samādhis without delusion and developing great compassion for all sentient beings.

• Reiterating in the form of a gāthā, the Buddha explains:

  • Samādhi cuts off all thoughts and does not engage in discrimination. It is free from creation and extinction; it is difficult to see and subtle.

  • Through it, one realises that dharmas have no actual existence and are ungraspable and that attaining samādhi leads to understanding this non-existence.

  • True meditation involves not grasping any dharmas. This leads to tranquillity and true wisdom.

  • Attaining and non-attaining are both false thoughts. Understanding the true nature of dharmas leads to samādhi.

  • Sounds are non-existent and comparable to echoes or empty space.

  • Sentient beings have no real abode or place of dwelling. Understanding this leads to samādhi.

  • Both going and not going are illusions on the path. 

  • Attachment to meditation is also grasping. True practice involves non-attachment.

  • Equality in meditation and wisdom is signless. Cultivating this leads to a proper understanding of meditation. True samādhi cannot be expressed in words. Abandoning verbal activities leads to deeper understanding.

  • As virtues attained upon achieving samādhi, the Buddha explains:

    • One in samādhi remains unscathed even if the world burns.

    • One gains boundless powers and unobstructed travel. One can thus travel to all buddha lands.

    • One comes to an understanding of the non-arising and non-extinction of phenomena.

    • One is undefiled by the world and unaffected by worldly dharmas.

    • In this way, even without going to other buddha lands, one continuously sees them and hears their true Dharma. 

    • Bodhisattvas can expound the Dharma endlessly with eloquence and manifest appearances to teach beings.

  • In conclusion, the Bodhisattva realises all dharmas' nature and reaches the other shore of merit. They transcend all discriminations and non-attachment to awakening, following the teachings of the buddhas and reaching the other shore of merit. They thus know the nature of dharmas and avoid frivolous arguments.

Commentary

Whereas chapter 12 explains that one should train in samādhi and experience it, this 13th chapter describes the nature of that samādhi. According to Thrangu Rinpoche (paraphrased):

Samādhi is training in the equality of all things, without formulating a conceptual attitude about what emptiness is, but simply facing the true nature of things precisely as it is. Without creating a conceptualised version of the natural state or emptiness, we should abide in what is already empty. We do not need to fabricate a concept of luminosity or the cognizant quality, either. In other words, we should not form a conceptual attitude but should rest naturally, facing the nature of things — the actual condition — as it is. 

Here, the Buddha also mentions that we should know the real identity of each of the five aggregates, not in a deluded, ordinary way, but in their actual condition. When understanding the eighteen elements or constituents, we should not just be able to list their attributes but should gain an understanding of their nature precisely as it is. The same holds for the twelve sense factors. 

Next, Thrangu Rinpoche explains how the Buddha explained various supports for samādhi. Primarily highlighting mindfulness: 

The Abhidharmakośa describes mindfulness as "never forgetting what should be abandoned and what should be adopted." For example, "When we train in meditation, there are thieves who want to come and steal. Some robbers try to rob our wealth (wisdom and mental stability). These robbers, thieves, and bandits are our disturbing emotions and conceptual thinking—feeling dull, agitated, etc."

So, if we are careful, conscience, and have a presence of mind (i.e. mindfulness), these disturbing emotions find no opportunity to gain a foothold. But if we are lazy and inattentive, the disturbing emotions will be right there, ready to take over. The wealth of our practice will be plundered, and we will be left destitute, without any spiritual qualities and overcome by disturbing emotions. 

Thus, we should always be mindful in the preliminary practices, the main part of meditation and concluding practice.

Discussion

1. Can you share any techniques to clear the mind of conceptuality?

2. How do we balance encouragement to solitary practice here with encouragement to practice amidst society in other sūtras?

3. How can the idea of the ungraspability of dharmas be integrated into everyday mindfulness?