Chan Master Nan Huai Jin
If you want to attain realization through Buddhist practice, you must hold fast
to this principle—accomplishment without cultivating merit and virtue is just a
fantasy.
How do you begin cultivating virtue and merits? Refrain from all negative deeds
and practice all good. In other words, do not dismiss small acts of kindness as
insignificant, and do not commit small negative deeds just because they seem
minor.
Without the accomplishment of merit and virtue, obstacles will arise
everywhere—both physically and mentally, and your internal and external
environment will be filled with hindrances.
~~
If you want to succeed quickly in Dharma cultivation, your conduct must be in
accord with morality. You need merits and virtues. You need to do good deeds, be a good person,
and gradually, as your diligence in Dharma practice is supported by accumulated
merits, accomplishment is very swift. Among the students, there are people attaining
varying degrees of accomplishments in their practice (whether deep or shallow,
fast or slow), it all boils down to this principle.
In this world, no matter what type of spiritual practice you do, whether it is
Buddhism or Taoism, it is very hard to find an integrated approach that is
based on a thorough understanding of all principles. If such a method truly
existed, cultivation wouldn’t be difficult, and progress would be rapid. However, one of the greatest difficulties is
cultivating merit and doing good deeds. That is really hard.
Most people look for shortcuts, thinking that simply meditating and practicing
certain techniques will allow them to become Buddhas or celestials (in the case
of Taoism), while neglecting good deeds entirely. They might do a few small
good deeds perfunctorily, but they will not do any significant good deeds…
You cannot achieve enlightenment just by sitting in meditation and dreaming—it
requires real effort. Honestly speaking, cultivating merit is crucial. One must
practice all forms of virtues. This is of utmost importance. Merit really does
exist. It will never deceive us.
When we read the scriptures, they all emphasize cultivating merit and
practicing virtue, yet people tend to gloss over this part. Even if one reaches
a high level of practice, without enough merit and virtuous actions, everything
can collapse inexplicably. There are countless obstacles that can arise.
On the other hand, if you cultivate merit diligently, you may gain
accomplishments or realisations without even meditating. It can be that extraordinary and incredible
—absolutely not a lie.
Many people who follow the spiritual paths constantly chase after techniques
and secret formulas, doing this practice here and doing that practice there,
thinking that this will bring them to realisation or enlightenment. However, if
their merit is not sufficient, no matter how advanced their practice seems, it
will ultimately collapse like a tower of sand. This is an absolute law, that’s
why I mention it here in passing.
~~
If one perseveres in upholding the precepts, your self-cultivation will
gradually penetrate from the outer layer of precepts to the inner level of
mind. By practicing patience, one attains inner gentleness and harmony,
radiating a peaceful and kind aura that makes others naturally drawn to you no
matter where you go. Everyone likes you.
There is a saying in Buddhist practice: "Before studying Buddhism, first
establish good relationships with others." The first step in learning
Buddhism is to practice generosity widely, to first build connections with
people, and then to extend kindness to all beings. However, many people fail to
reflect on themselves. They find many
people unpleasant, and in turn, others find them unlikable as well. Why do they
struggle to build good relationships? Because their inner moral foundation is
weak. Throughout many lifetimes, they have failed to cultivate patience,
gentleness, and harmony. As a result, they continue to be trapped in the cycle
of rebirth, unable to complete the collection of merits.
If one can cultivate a gentle mind, from gentleness comes harmony and
benevolence, then they will be loved by anyone who meets them. This is the
state of a Bodhisattva — one who is cherished by everyone and who has completed
his collection of merits. If one takes joy in cultivating this aspect of
practice, this then is the path to Buddhahood.
We know that in daily life people tend to have more negative thoughts than good
ones. Confucianism is similar to the Vinaya school of Buddhism in that both
emphasize moral discipline… when we were in school, we had a piece of paper
next to our desks called a "merit and demerit record". It was a
monthly record with many circles on it. Every day, we would reflect on our
thoughts and actions—if we did something bad, we would mark a black dot in a
circle; if we did something good, we would mark a red dot. At the end of the
month, we would review whether we had more black or red dots…
Virtue must truly take root in our minds! Sometimes, we may have kind thoughts
and good intentions, but they do not take deep root in our hearts. Just as we
start to treat others well and do good deeds, a sudden external stimulus
arises, and we abandon everything, reacting with even more anger than before.
This happens because our foundation of virtue is not firmly established, making
it impossible to achieve true progress in Dharma cultivation.
We must "diligently accumulate the roots of virtues." This is
something many of you overlook in the Thirty-seven Factors of Enlightenment,
which emphasizes this principle. Unfortunately, many people see these as mere
Buddhist terms rather than essential practices. In Buddhist cultivation, moral
discipline (precepts), concentration, and wisdom must come together for the
enlightened qualities to be perfected. How can merit be perfected? By
diligently accumulating the roots of virtues—planting them deeply and firmly
(through constant habituation and self-reminder) so they can grow and bear
fruit…
Take note! Only after diligently cultivating and accumulating the roots of
virtues can one truly attain samadhi…Why do many practitioners struggle to
reach deep meditation despite their efforts? Because their foundation of virtue
is not strong enough.
Without deep roots of virtue, progress is very hard. This is why, in practice,
some days you feel progress, and other days you regress, sometimes even taking
three steps back for every step forward.
Some people experience a few good days of meditation and become overly excited
like a poor person suddenly receiving a great treasure, trembling with
excitement. But if the foundation is weak, this excitement can spiral out of
control, leading even to mental problems.
Only after diligently accumulating the roots of virtue can one truly experience
the bliss of meditation, free from discursive thoughts. In fact, what is true
meditative concentration? Performing virtue is meditative concentration. When
one reaches true samadhi, every thought aligns with virtue and goodness.
So how can you tell if someone has deep meditative concentration? Just look at
how much virtue they have in their conduct.
It’s not about how long you can sit.
That said, sitting meditation is still necessary, that is training in
concentration. It is the foundational
training. Once you have attained true concentration, you are in that state
throughout the day whether you are crossing your legs, straightening your legs,
walking or sleeping. This level can only be reached when the roots of virtue
are fully cultivated.
