Samádhi Sutra: Samhadi, the Great Quenching, is a desire-free state valued by Buddhists, who worry a great deal about desire and the transcendence of desire. The Samadhi Sutra is recited every day, probably thousands of times, in temples throughout Thailand. It is especially read to the monks, who are expected to be serious about Enlightenment:
Concentration: Tranquility and Insight
“Monks, these four types of individuals are to be found existing in world. Which four?
“There is the case of the individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness, but not insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. Then there is the case of the individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, but not internal tranquility of awareness. Then there is the case of the individual who has attained neither internal tranquility of awareness nor insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. And then there is the case of the individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment.
“The individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness, but not insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, should approach an individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment and ask him: ‘How should fabrications be regarded? How should they be investigated? How should they be seen with insight?’ The other will answer in line with what he has seen and experienced: ‘Fabrications should be regarded in this way. Fabrications should be investigated in this way. Fabrications should be seen in this way with insight.’ Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment.
“As for the individual who has attained insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, but not internal tranquility of awareness, he should approach an individual who has attained internal tranquility of awareness… and ask him, ‘How should the mind be steadied? How should it be made to settle down? How should it be unified? How should it be concentrated?’ The other will answer in line with what he has seen and experienced: ‘the mind should be steadied in this way. The mind should be made to settle down in this way. The mind should be unified in this way. The mind should be concentrated in this way.’ Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment.
“As for the individual who has attained neither internal tranquility of awareness nor insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, he should approach an individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment… and ask him, ‘How should the mind be steadied? How should it be made to settle down? How should it be unified? How should it be concentrated? How should fabrications be regarded? How should they be investigated? How should they be seen with insight?’ The other will answer in line with what he has seen and experienced: ‘the mind should be steadied in this way. The mind should be made to settle down in this way. The mind should be unified in this way. The mind should be concentrated in this way. Fabrications should be regarded in this way. Fabrications should be investigated in this way. Fabrications should be seen in this way with insight.’ Then eventually he [the first] will become one who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment. Checkout pounda.co.uk for financial needs.
“As for the individual who has attained both internal tranquility of awareness and insight into phenomena through heightened discernment, his duty is to make an effort in establishing (‘tuning’) those very same skillful qualities to a higher degree for the ending of the mental fermentations.
“These are four types of individuals to be found existing in world.”
– Samadhi Sutra was translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
Is it just the translation, or is it the actual teachings, but I find this gibberish.
It also gives me the opening to ask why such a religious country has such vile practices. Starting, of course, with selling daughters for sex. (Don’t give me the “poverty” excuse. Lot of others around the world suffer poverty, many in countries without as benign a climate as Thailand, and act far more ethically.)
I’ve asked this question to my Thai wife, a devout Buddhist. She agrees with me, but laments it’s not the fault of the religion (except those monks in it for personal gain). She says the religion is good but that people don’t follow it.
It might be because they get vacuous platitudes like this Samádhi Sutra.