My Dear Daughter,

After several discussions with Brother Alpha about entering meditative absorption (samādhi), I decided to explore this subject further based on scientific research in psychology and neuroscience. I will connect and compare this knowledge with my own practical experience in meditation to offer insights into one critical issue: one-pointedness of mind (ekaggatā). The core questions are: (1) What is the purpose of meditation, i.e., anchoring mindfulness in front? (2) What is one-pointedness, and how does one attain this state?

These questions may sound redundant because I can answer right away: I meditate in the hope of liberating myself from the afflictions and sufferings of life. And if I succeed, I also want to help others do the same. That’s the ideal. But really—what is liberation, what does it look like, what does it feel like? Those things are beyond my current understanding. I won’t pretend to know or talk big about them.

However, if we temporarily treat meditation as an experimental science (meaning: we have to actually practice to know, not just talk theory), and view liberation as the state achieved after passing the final exam in this field—like earning a Ph.D. in meditation 😊—then meditation practice is just like going to school. And if it’s school, then it requires: (1) Moral discipline (Sīla): obeying the rules and structure of the “school,” (2) Concentration (Samādhi): focusing effort on studying, understanding theory, doing exercises, tests, and exams to prove we actually get it, (3) Wisdom (Paññā): gaining experience, knowledge, and higher levels of understanding over time. Once we pass the final exam in meditative training and get the “Ph.D.” (i.e., attain Arahantship), we’ll be fully equipped to guide and help others—if we choose the path of the Bodhisattva.

Understanding it this way, I realize that Sīla, Samādhi, and Paññā (morality, concentration, and wisdom) vary by level in meditation. Later stages require stricter discipline than earlier ones. Kindergarteners aren’t subjected to strict rules or flunked for forgetting the alphabet. They mainly learn through play. But we can’t apply kindergarten-level rules to high school or university students. The higher we go, the stricter the discipline (Sīla), the deeper the concentration (Samādhi), and the sharper the wisdom (Paññā). Also, we can’t move on to the next level without passing the current one—just like we can’t pursue a master’s degree if we haven’t finished our undergraduate studies.[1] So keeping the precepts, practicing concentration to gain wisdom, is a privilege for the student—if they want to progress.

Now, relating this back to monastics:

(1) 1. If one doesn’t keep the precepts (Sīla), achieving concentration (Samādhi) becomes difficult. Without concentration, there’s no wisdom to be found.

(2) 2. Even if someone manages to focus their mind (i.e., achieve some level of Samādhi), they still can’t advance if they lack discipline. This is the Law of Correspondence. For instance, someone without the discipline of a soldier, no matter how talented, won’t be recruited or succeed in the military. According to Brother Alpha, Sīla is like culture—it’s how we behave in accordance with where we live or where we aim to go. For example, the First Jhāna realm is a place where killing does not exist. If we meditate hoping to reach this realm but don’t adopt or cultivate the non-killing ethic, we’ll never get there. No matter how well we concentrate, the Law of Correspondence will pull us toward a lower realm that matches our culture or moral base (our Sīla). Brother Alpha calls this “Worldly Meditation” (Phàm phu Thiền).“

This highlights how critical Sīla is for a practitioner. As Master Tibu and Brother Alpha often repeat: ‘Sīla is the practitioner’s privilege’.

(End of Part 1/8)

Notes:

[1] Of course, there are prodigies in academics — young in age but highly advanced in knowledge. In reality, they progress quickly because they learn fast, not because they just randomly skip grades.