Two Buddhist Methods to Enhance Wisdom and Spiritual Intelligence

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In Buddhism, there are two methods to enhance one's wisdom and spirituality.

We've all encountered highly intelligent people who can read and memorize text effortlessly.

At the same time, we've also met those who lack confidence in their mental abilities, considering themselves slow learners with poor memory.

In reality, intelligence depends on spiritual awareness, stemming from focus and self-confidence. The more confident and focused people are, the better their spiritual awareness becomes, enabling them to achieve and create better results.

This phenomenon applies to everyone, from elementary school students to office workers and entrepreneurs.

So, can spiritual awareness be cultivated? How can those lacking in wisdom and spiritual awareness enhance and strengthen these qualities?

Indeed, spiritual awareness and wisdom can be cultivated and strengthened. In Buddhism, there are at least two methods to achieve this.

Memorizing Buddhist Sutras

Have you noticed? When reciting Buddhist sutras, our minds naturally become focused, free from distracting thoughts.

Moreover, the sutras themselves carry powerful energy. As you continue memorizing them, your spiritual awareness and wisdom grow substantially without you even realizing it.

In ancient China, all children began their education by memorizing texts. At this stage, understanding wasn't required, but once a child's comprehension ability developed to a certain level, the texts and principles stored in their minds would naturally emerge, becoming their wisdom. The writings of Confucius and Mencius, works of Tang and Song masters, and ancient sages' teachings all carry powerful energy and blessings.

When children memorize from an early age, it would be strange if their spiritual awareness and wisdom didn't grow. That's why in that era, despite lacking modern nutrition and material conditions, history was filled with talented writers and skilled craftsmen.

Maintaining a Still Mind and Guarding Consciousness

This is a method for training concentration and serves as preliminary practice for Buddhist meditation. Ordinary people's minds are very crude. Thoughts flow like floodwater, coming and going uncontrollably.

Due to mental chaos, people experience physical discomfort like back pain, excessive appetite, and restlessness. When an attractive person appears or a pleasant place is found, the mind rushes toward it, difficult to control. Therefore, maintaining a still mind means forcing yourself to become quiet suddenly.

Maintaining a Still Mind and Guarding Consciousness

You can try this: whatever you're doing, suddenly command yourself to stop all movement and remain completely still. Except for breathing, no movement is allowed, not even the slightest. Hold this for a few seconds or dozens of seconds. Practice this several times daily, and soon you'll experience a comfortable, peaceful feeling. This training doesn't require any specific posture for your body or limbs.

It simply requires you to stop random thoughts for a brief moment, achieving momentary stillness. This brief stillness is called "crude mind-dwelling." Gradually, we learn to let go of mental contents, becoming focused and clear. This process also regulates body and mind, making breathing smoother and thoughts increasingly subtle.

This is the most basic, preliminary experience of meditation. Its effects are far greater than casually chanting Buddha's name or mantras. If we can regularly memorize sutras and practice maintaining a still mind, our wisdom can improve significantly in a short time.

These two methods are also suitable for cultivating children's spiritual awareness and wisdom, making them more intelligent. Therefore, encouraging children to memorize sutras and playing "statue" games with them can greatly enhance their spiritual awareness and wisdom. Of course, advancing further in Buddhist practice leads to true great wisdom, a state far beyond what ordinary language can describe.