Obstacles to meditative concentration

Except for Bodhisattvas who appear by manifestation, everyone must meet many obstacles on the path of practising meditative concentration. Therefore we must understand the nature of these obstacles clearly in order to steady our minds in overcoming them. Some obstacles are easily overcome, but there are also obstacles that make us labour all our lives. We must know our own karma as well as the structure of each obstacle in order to prepare ourselves mentally for a long battle. Do not become discouraged and give up because you meet obstacles. Practising meditative concentration is a matter of many lifetimes. Each lifetime of diligence is a step closer to Enlightenment if we hold firm to our vow.

1. Unsteadiness of the body

The body and the brain are closely connected, so when the body is not yet steady, is still too restless, and sitting in the full lotus posture is not yet firm, the practitioner cannot yet gather the mind peacefully. This is the first obstacle of the person who practises meditation.

We do not have to wait until the hindrance of restlessness is eliminated before the body is steady; we only need to sit for a while until used to it, and the body becomes steady. One must observe the basic principles of the work of settling the body: sitting in the correct posture, keeping the body soft and relaxed yet motionless. This is the initial Middle Way point: the body is not allowed to move, but is also not allowed to be stiffened. This basic principle is extremely important; it will follow us throughout our life of practice, will help us eliminate many meditation illnesses, and will help us get past many illusions in meditation practice.

Throughout life we must always rely on this work of settling the body to advance, and must never depart from the work of keeping the body in the correct posture, soft and motionless. When the work of settling the body is firm, the inner mind will naturally appear for us to see clearly and control. This is the key point and cannot be otherwise. Many schools of meditation do not take settling the body as the basic work, and go straight into the mind to control the mind. Such a method is not fundamental and causes unfavourable consequences later.

When one goes straight into the mind to control the mind like this, the person may or may not manage to gather the mind, but in the long run the Yin force is depleted, so that the brain stem swells and the cortex at once boils over with countless confused thoughts.

But when one begins with the work of settling the body, carefully keeps up the work of settling the body, and combines it with abiding at a single point at the Đan điền, in time the knowing naturally spreads over the whole body and mind, sees the inner mind clearly, sees delusive thoughts clearly when they are just beginning, and eliminates them easily. This basic path helps the practitioner develop the fruits of practice so that they become steadier the further on one goes.

The first obstacle, unsteadiness of the body, must be overcome through each person's perseverance and determination, striving to keep the body motionless and soft; after a long time the body naturally becomes temporarily still so that the work can advance.

2. Delusive thoughts

The second obstacle, and also the main obstacle in practising meditative concentration, is delusive thoughts.

Some people gather the mind easily, but others gather the mind with great labour. This is each person's own causes and conditions and own aptitude, no one the same as another. To speak of meditative concentration is to speak of the goal of a silent inner mind with no more delusive thoughts. Therefore, whatever means we use, there must be one chief point to achieve: the end of delusive thoughts.

However, if we hurry straight into the inner mind, knowing only the task of eliminating delusive thoughts, that means we lack the firm preparation needed beforehand, such as creating abundant Yin force, a steady body, perfected ethics and abundant merit. A wise and intelligent person is one who knows how to prepare all the foundations before advancing to the main goal.

And when the mind has attained silence, that is not the end of the matter. It is only the beginning of the real process of meditative concentration to come.

The Buddha taught very many methods of gathering the mind and eliminating delusive thoughts for different aptitudes, and all those methods are consistent throughout. Later many great masters also established other methods to help gather the mind, but they also contributed to making Buddhism divided. Today we need to find again the method that the Buddha himself taught, in order to gain great benefit and have a firm foundation, and also to help find common ground and unity again for Buddhism. Often methods that came after the Buddha are praised as transcendent, even better than the Buddha; for example the idiom "surpass the Buddha and exceed the Patriarchs" is a proof. We easily find practitioners in Buddhism who are practising the method of some great master or patriarch, with an attitude of fanatical devotion, believing through life and death. They have not had the chance to meet the teaching of a method authentically from the Buddha. If they are lucky enough to get results, it only helps Buddhism be distorted faster.

As a monk with responsibility for the Buddha's Dharma, we must resolutely take the Buddha's authentic method as our support and standard. We must also know to urge everyone to take the Buddha's authentic method of practice as common ground for Buddhism. Gradually Buddhism must be brought back to one thread so as to have the unity and harmony of old.

When we practise exactly according to the basic path taught by the Buddha, on the foundation of merit, ethics, Qigong and settling the body, our mind will gradually settle. The time for the mind to settle depends on each person's aptitude and causes and conditions. Some take a few years, some a few decades. When delusive thoughts have settled, that is when we have overcome the second obstacle.

3. Illusions

The third obstacle appears when we have fewer delusive thoughts and the mind has begun to settle: strange illusions, apparitions, spiritual visions and so on.

Indeed, when the mind has settled, we will have to face things that do not exist at all in daily life. This is again a great test for the practitioner, because we have never heard of these strange things.

Some see many-coloured lights shining dazzlingly before them; some see their body as if sitting in the midst of empty space; some see scenes of the heavenly realms appear; some smell a heavy fragrance spreading through the whole room; some hear very original teachings of the Buddha's Dharma resounding in the air; some see Bodhisattvas come to give blessings; some see lotus flowers growing all over a beautiful clear green pond; some hear a loud explosion in the head, or popping sounds beside the ear; some feel as if many beings from somewhere have come to sit in meditation together with them; some feel their body burning hot or cool and cold; some hear heavenly music resounding; some see their body become transparent, and so on.

All such illusions may come from external causes or internal causes.

External causes may be spirits of the dead, gods or devas who come looking when they see that the practitioner is making progress. Demonic obstacles also rise up from this. We easily give rise to pride and arrogance when we see wonderful scenes appear, then our merit is reduced, and so our practice will decline. The internal cause is that our own formations aggregate (hành ấm) has itself created and produced those visions, and no one else. Sometimes we see an entire fluent dialogue about the Dharma between devas appear, but in fact our own formations aggregate has built it all. Our formations aggregate is very subtle and fine, so it is hard to recognise. The formations aggregate creates illusions and we keep thinking that the illusions come from outside, and then believe that we are lofty and outstanding. In the end, the arrogant mind will destroy all the work of practice up to now.

We must be certain that all these illusions, apparitions and spiritual visions come from our mind still being agitated in its subtle depths, even though, from a cursory look at the outside, delusive thoughts have settled. Because our mind is still agitated, outside agents come looking. Because our mind is still agitated, the formations aggregate secretly stages all kinds of things.

Such apparitions and illusions have a very dangerous call: they make us curious. We will feel strange and curious, watching how those illusions will go on to develop. Without realising it, by being curious like this, we have fallen into the demon's trap. By being curious like this, we have unwittingly supplied additional energy to nourish those apparitions so that they continue and develop. When those apparitions have developed, our inner mind has been taken over and ruled by illusions, and we are no longer master of our own mind. From here, the day of truly going mad is not far off.

Therefore, knowing this, we must vow that whenever any illusion appears, we will eliminate it at once, without nourishing it with curiosity for even a second. It is precisely the firm rejection and elimination of illusions that is the mettle of a person who practises meditation, and it keeps illusions from persisting. Only then is our mind at peace to continue entering deeper into meditative concentration.

After many such firm refusals of illusions, we will overcome this third obstacle and prepare to face the fourth obstacle.

4. Supernatural powers and wondrous abilities

Supernatural powers and wondrous abilities are the fourth obstacle for a person who practises meditation, after the practitioner has overcome illusions. This is the hardest obstacle to overcome, because it is so wondrous and great.

When practice reaches the level of attaining supernatural powers and wondrous abilities, it means the practitioner has reached a very high realm and so has boundless confidence in his own work. At this point the practitioner seems no longer to listen to anyone, because it is hard for anyone to equal him. If the practitioner has not prepared mentally in advance for how to handle it when wondrous abilities are achieved, he will be wholly destroyed by his own wondrous abilities. In fact the Arahants also have great supernatural powers and wondrous abilities, which the Buddha called the three knowledges and six supernatural powers, but the Arahants' powers cause no harm because they have gone beyond attachment to self. The obstacle of supernatural powers that we speak of here is the kind of power that appears when the mind has settled fairly deeply but attachment to self has not yet completely dissolved.

Sometimes the practitioner knows another person's mind clearly whenever any sudden thought arises in them while they stand near him. Even from afar, the practitioner can still know somewhat the state of mind of that person.

Sometimes the practitioner knows someone's past life clearly on looking at them, and in turn also knows that person's future. Sometimes supernatural strength surges in the practitioner's body to the point that he can jump very high or strike a very powerful palm blow. Sometimes the practitioner can place his hand on another person, or hold his hand far away, and still transmit healing energy to them. Sometimes the practitioner sits in meditation and a halo shines brightly over the whole area around.

Sometimes the practitioner opens the divine eye and sees clearly beings of the metaphysical realms such as spirits of the dead and celestial beings, and can make contact and communicate with them. Sometimes the practitioner uses the power of the eye to see through darkness and sees everything clearly.

Sometimes the practitioner can intervene in another's fate, knowing in advance their karmic conditions, by asking gods and saints to help and telling that person to do meritorious deeds himself to resolve his karma. Very, very many kinds of supernatural power appear when the practitioner attains deep and profound stillness. At this point the practitioner will be honoured by everyone as a god, as a living Buddha. A person who has practised to that point is also truly great. However, precisely because the ego has not ended, glory is itself calamity. Glory makes the ego grow; the growing ego in turn shatters merit; and shattered merit brings about the backsliding of the fruits of practice. That is why many who practised to the point of having supernatural powers then backslid to an unexpectedly terrible degree. Or some, having supernatural powers in this life, become ordinary people in the next life, left only with a love of the Way, and with a subjective over-confidence that never listens to anyone's advice.

Therefore, when we begin practising meditative concentration, we must understand thoroughly the obstacles on the path of meditation, and one of those obstacles is precisely Supernatural powers and wondrous abilities. Understanding this, when we see that we have supernatural power, we will resolve to let it pass: not to care about it, not to use it, not to show it off, not to rejoice or be proud. Resolving to let supernatural power pass is extraordinary, because it is not at all easy. In an ordinary world in which we are a superman, it is hard for anyone to remain silent, discreet and humble. One must be a person with boundless good roots of realisation to be able to regard supernatural power as nothing. Almost everyone "dies" right at this point of supernatural power. Before beginning to practise meditative concentration, we must bow to the Buddha and vow that later, if we have supernatural powers, may we regard them as nothing so as to keep an utterly humble mind. We must make this vow in advance, because by the time it arrives it will be too late to vow.

Illusions we can overcome and eliminate; but supernatural powers will cling to us until the day of complete liberation. Just one moment of lightly raising pride in having supernatural powers, and at once our road to liberation is blocked. This is the most persistent, the most stubborn, and also the most alluring test. If we do not have wisdom and a deep, thick vow, no one can withstand such a long test.

Those who can firmly keep a humble mind, not concerned with supernatural power, can be regarded as able to steady themselves to continue along the road to liberation, with one last obstacle.

5. Attachment to self

Attachment to self is the last fence that blocks liberation. In fact it would be more correct to say that ignorance is the last barrier, the last obstacle, the last fetter, but because ignorance and the ego are one nature though with two names and two shades, it is not wrong to say that attachment to self is the last barrier.

Attachment to self is something formless and without characteristics, deep, existing yet seen by no one. Even those who have realised and already have supernatural powers and wondrous abilities still see no shadow of the ego anywhere even though the ego has not ended. Whoever is fortunate enough to be warned and reminded by a genuine teacher and good friend does not dare to be careless, because he knows that the ego still exists and is ready to ruin the process of practice we have laboured to build up over many lifetimes. Whoever is unfortunate and is not reminded and warned by a genuine teacher and good friend will be complacent and think he has attained the supramundane when he sees his mind extremely pure and his supernatural powers full.

We were born without meeting the Buddha, and as far as we practise no one assesses it for us; we strive onward only for the ideal of Enlightenment and the liberation of beings. Therefore we must be reserved and careful and must not be complacent; we must always watch out for the ego deceiving us so that we become pointlessly arrogant.

For this last obstacle, the practitioner need only silently remind himself that he still has attachment to self. When the conditions are sufficient, attachment to self will naturally dissolve and perfect, supreme Enlightenment will be attained. The above are the standard obstacles when we practise in the right direction. There are also countless meditation illnesses that occur when we apply effort wrongly and cause us no little suffering; they will be discussed later.

Question: For each of these obstacles, how should we make our vow, and what merit should we create, to overcome it?