The Method for Achieving Concentration

Teachings from Namo Amituofo, recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe, on the fourteenth of May, 2022.

To attain meditative concentration, one must have a method. When you follow the correct path with sincerity and diligence, you will surely attain this state of stillness. For any practitioner, the Three Learnings of Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom are the fundamental skills required to learn the Buddha’s teachings and eventually attain Buddhahood. If this foundation is stable, your practice will easily bear fruit.

The Foundation of the Path

Without the foundation of Precepts, it is difficult to practise. This is because, without discipline, you will constantly commit errors that create negative karma. When the conditions for these karmic seeds mature, how can you avoid suffering greatly? You may even find yourself burdened by the heavy karma of the hells, which follows you like a shadow.

Without meditative concentration, the mind is like turbulent waves. When you have wandering thoughts, they create ripples in your consciousness. These thoughts are often triggered by the people, events, or environments you focus upon. You must be aware of what you are thinking, for your thoughts attract other beings. As you dwell on these thoughts, they manifest into form, and the space around you begins to reflect your internal state. It is then very easy for your soul to be drawn into these spaces; it is not a difficult thing for your consciousness to be led astray.

The Wisdom to Transform Reality

Without Wisdom, one falls into ignorance. If you act without the guidance of Wisdom, or if your words are not grounded in the Truth, your conduct will inevitably be foolish. Such foolish thoughts, words, and deeds often lead to the violation of the Precepts, leaving your practice without success. When you lack Precepts, you do not recognise your own faults. When you lack meditative concentration, your mind remains agitated and your thoughts are incessant. When you lack Wisdom, you drift further away from your true self.

This is why the Three Learnings of Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom are the most important aspects of your practice. As a practitioner, you must put in the work to cultivate them. When you possess meditative concentration, you naturally uphold the Precepts, and Wisdom will manifest. Only then can you successfully carry out the work of the Buddha’s teachings to save all beings.

Cultivating Stillness Through Daily Practice

A practitioner who possesses meditative concentration is compassionate. You will not be moved by external circumstances, nor will you follow the crowd. Instead, you will have the ability to transform your environment. Regardless of whether the challenges are external or internal, using meditative concentration to face them is an essential requirement. A wise person understands the nature of the conditions they face; they do not allow themselves to be swayed by these conditions, they do not create negative causes, and they do not suffer the evil consequences.

In every school of the Buddha’s teachings, there are methods to attain meditative concentration. However, the Three Learnings of Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom remain the common path for all. When you keep the Precepts, your heart will be at peace, and concentration and Wisdom will naturally emerge. For those of us in the Pure Land school, our daily practice provides the perfect structure for this:

• Prostrations: By bowing to the Buddha, you humble the ego and focus the body.
• Chanting Namo Amituofo: By listening to the Buddha-name, you keep the mind clear and bright.
• Reciting the Sutras: By reciting each word clearly, you ensure the teachings enter your heart, preventing the mind from becoming chaotic.

When you perform prostrations, your body is engaged in reverence, and your eyes remain fixed upon the Buddha. You are not distracted by the sounds, people, or activities around you. Through this, meditative concentration is achieved. Namo Amituofo.