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In a world of constant noise, finding inner peace feels challenging. The Buddha offered three profound practices—Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom—that can lead anyone towards a calmer mind and a wiser perspective on life.
The Buddha said: These three words can calm your mind and elevate your wisdom.
Buddhism uses three methods of practice—Precepts (Sila), Concentration (Samadhi), and Wisdom (Prajna)—to understand oneself and the world, ultimately reaching a state of desirelessness and boundless merit.
These three aspects, known as the three trainings free from defilements, form a progressive path: cultivating morality, developing inner peace, and nurturing wisdom. They follow a sequential relationship, building upon each other.
First, one must perfect their moral character; with established morality, one should then strive to calm the mind; and with a peaceful mind, one can further develop wisdom.
Cultivating Precepts：Building a Moral Foundation
"Precepts" guide Buddhists in ethical conduct, building a foundation for a peaceful mind.
The Ten Precepts:
- Not killing.
- Not stealing.
- Not engaging in sexual misconduct.
- Not lying.
- Not consuming intoxicants.
- Not using cosmetics.
- Not participating in or watching entertainment.
- Not using high or luxurious beds.
- Not eating at improper times, and not handling money.
Through these guidelines, practitioners build virtue, which naturally leads to inner peace.
The study of precepts can be divided into two categories: restraining precepts and constructive precepts. Restraining precepts prevent wrongdoing, while constructive precepts encourage virtuous actions. These complement each other, helping Buddhists guard their actions, speech, and thoughts, avoiding anything illegal, unreasonable, or spiritually contaminating.
The original meaning of "precepts" in Buddhism shows us what we should not do, using the most straightforward method to eliminate bad habits, cultivate good ones, and develop virtuous character. Someone who has developed good moral qualities will naturally avoid wrongdoing. A person who has truly internalized these precepts cannot act against their conscience.
Maintaining these precepts, perfecting one's moral character, and focusing on spiritual practice forms the foundation for desirelessness and boundless merit.
Cultivating Concentration：Achieving Inner Peace
Through meditation, the mind becomes like a calm lake, reflecting true clarity.
Concentration refers to a state where the mind is peaceful, tranquil, and focused. By calming afflictions and cultivating inner peace, we can think more clearly.
In Buddhism, highly developed concentration is called "meditation" or "dhyana." This refers to a state of intense mental focus. Someone who achieves this meditative state can strengthen and control their emotions, maintaining various mental states of extreme joy, happiness, or tranquility. This reduces negative emotions and helps maintain a peaceful state of mind.
Buddhism divides meditation into eight levels,including four form realm jhanas and four formless realms:
- First jhana: Intense mental focus
- Second jhana: Increased clarity and control
- Third jhana: Joy and happiness dissipate
- Fourth jhana: Extreme tranquility
- Advanced levels: Infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and a state beyond perception.
By reaching deeper levels, negative emotions fade, leading to a lasting peace of mind.
These states become increasingly sublime. In advanced meditation, even joy and happiness disappear, leaving the mind in an extremely peaceful, subtle, and extraordinary state—the highest level of concentration.
Cultivating Wisdom：Attaining True Insight
Wisdom is the ultimate goal, allowing Buddhists to see life’s true nature.
The previous two trainings—following precepts and practicing meditation—ultimately pursue better realization of wisdom. Buddhist wisdom comprehends the truth of the universe and human life and understands social principles, making it both the rational foundation and result of following precepts and practicing meditation.
Buddhism encourages cultivating wisdom because it can eliminate latent afflictions and uproot inner troubles completely. However, the wisdom mentioned in Buddhism differs from our common understanding—it's not simply high intelligence, strong memory, or specific abilities. The wisdom referred to in Buddhism is the ability to thoroughly understand life's truth and perceive the essence of the world, also known as "prajna wisdom." In Buddhism, wisdom isn’t just intelligence; it's about seeing the world clearly. Through wisdom, we overcome suffering and reach Nirvana.
Buddhist wisdom is closely related to the Four Noble Truths. In the scriptures, thoroughly understanding the Four Noble Truths is considered having wisdom.
Connection with the Four Noble Truths:
- Suffering
- Origin of Suffering
- Cessation of Suffering
- The Path
Through deep understanding, one can eliminate inner conflicts and achieve Nirvana.
When one's insight matures, transcendental wisdom—path knowledge—arises. This path knowledge completely eliminates corresponding afflictions and realizes Nirvana. Nirvana is the Truth of Cessation, the goal of path knowledge. The path knowledge that realizes Nirvana is the Truth of the Path. Additionally, since the Truth of the Path leads to the cessation of suffering, the process of cultivating precepts, concentration, and wisdom can also be called the Truth of the Path.
When practitioners completely eliminate all afflictions, they become "one who has ended the taints"—a person who has eliminated all afflictions, reaching the state of boundless merit.
FAQ
- What are the Three Trainings in Buddhism?
The Three Trainings are Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom, forming a path to enlightenment.
- How do Buddhist precepts impact daily life?
By following moral guidelines, practitioners develop inner peace and self-discipline.
- What is the highest level of concentration in Buddhism?
The ultimate level involves transcending perceptions to achieve complete mental clarity.
Ready to apply these teachings? Start by cultivating one precept this week and observe the transformation in your mind and wisdom.
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