..续本文上一页 practiced concentration — even if they”re ingenious — can”t really be classed as discerning. Their ingenuity is nothing more than restless distraction — an example being the person who thinks to the point where his nerves break down, which goes to show that his thoughts have no place to rest. They run loose, with no concentration.

　　People with responsibilities on the level of the world or of the Dhamma should train their hearts and minds to a state of concentration. Then when the time comes to think, they can put their thinking to work. When the time is past, they can put their thinking away in concentration. In other words, they have a sense of time and place, of when and where to think. People without concentration, who haven”t developed this sense, can wear out their minds; and when their minds are worn out, everything breaks down. Even though they may have the energy to speak and act, yet if their minds are exhausted, they can”t accomplish their purpose. Most of us use our minds without caring for them. Morning, noon, and night; sitting, standing, walking, and lying down, we don”t rest for a moment. We”re like a man who drives a car or a boat: If he doesn”t let it rest, he”s headed for trouble. The boat may rust out or the parts may break down, and when this happens, he”s in for a difficult time. When a person”s mind hasn”t been developed in concentration, it can create difficulties for its owner”s body, as well as for the bodies of others.

　　Thus the Buddha saw that concentration can be of value on the level of the world and on the level of the Dhamma, which is why he taught it in various ways to the people of the world. But some people are deaf, i.e., they can”t understand what concentration is about; or else they”re blind, i.e., they can”t stand to look at the example of those who practice, and so they become detractors and fault-finders.

　　Those of us who hope to secure ourselves — on either the level of the world or the level of the Dhamma — should thus give firm support to the message of the Buddha. We shouldn”t claim to be his followers simply because we”ve been ordained in his order or have studied his teachings, without putting those teachings into practice. If we let ourselves be parasites like this, we”ll do nothing but cause Buddhism to degenerate.

　　Thus people who train their minds to attain concentration are of use to themselves and to others; people who don”t train their minds to attain concentration will cause harm to themselves and to others. To attain concentration is like having a strategic fortress with a good vantage point: If enemies come from within or without, you”ll be able to see them in time. The discernment that comes from concentration will be the weapon enabling you to wage war and destroy defilement. Whatever is worthwhile, you will keep in your heart. Whatever is harmful, you will throw out. The discernment that comes from concentration will enable you to tell which is which.

　　These, then, are the benefits reaped by those who practice concentration, and the drawbacks suffered by those who don”t.

　　This ends the discussion of the second topic.

　　3. To answer the third question:

　　a. There are two kinds of concentration, general (sadharana) and exclusive (asadharana). General concentration refers to the type of mental training found throughout the world and not restricted to any particular religion, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism. All of these religions are based on concentration, which can thus be called "general concentration." Exclusive concentration is a type of concentration specifically Buddhist and not shared by other religions. When practiced, it gives to the transcendent states: the paths, their fruitions, and nibbana. Thus it can be called "exclusive concentration."

　　General and …

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