Practicing Meditation to Attain the Noble Fruits: Do Not Stop at Meditative Concentration

During a meditation retreat at Phat Ngoc Pagoda, the Venerable Thich Chan Quang posed a question that startled many: "Why is it that some people have meditated for many years, entered deep states of concentration, and even gained supernatural powers, yet are still not noble ones?"

That question opens up an important truth: meditative concentration and attaining the noble fruits are two different levels of attainment. So what is the true path leading to liberation? Let us listen to the profound teachings of Master Thich Chan Quang to illuminate our own path of practice.

"Only those who are seasoned and skilled in meditation have the opportunity to attain the noble fruits. Without being seasoned in meditation, it is very difficult to attain the noble fruits." — Venerable Thich Chan Quang

Meditative Concentration Is the Root of Buddhism

The Buddha taught that every practice in Buddhism takes meditation as its root. From Tibet to Theravada, from world-renowned scholars to practitioners in the countryside, everyone comes to meditation as a core foundation. Yet many Buddhist disciples neglect meditation, believing that chanting or doing temple work is enough. Master Thich Chan Quang reminds us:

"Whatever practice you undertake, you must take meditation as the root. If a Buddhist disciple is not skilled and seasoned in meditation, that is a loss for Buddhism."

But attaining meditative concentration does not necessarily mean attaining noble realization. Therefore, we must clearly understand each step of the meditative path so as not to go astray.

The Three Stages of Meditation: Right Effort, Mindfulness, and Right Concentration

Master Thich Chan Quang outlines three stages that every meditator must pass through: right effort, mindfulness, and right concentration. The first stage, right effort, is the most difficult. The mind is not yet calm, the legs ache, the legs go numb, and you want to break free but must hold on. This is when willpower is needed:

"In the stage of right effort, practice has yielded no results yet. The mind is not calm, yet you must sit still. The legs ache, the legs go numb, the restless mind keeps wanting to move, wanting to break free, and you must endure until the proper time before you can release the posture."

Once one passes through right effort, the practitioner attains mindfulness. At that point, the mind naturally settles into concentration, and a wondrous sense of bliss arises. Only then does one enter right concentration—from the first jhana to the fourth jhana. But a great question arises: "Is attaining meditative concentration the same as attaining noble realization?"

The Five Hindrances: Obstacles Before Entering Concentration

To enter right concentration, a practitioner must break through the five hindrances. These are obstacles within the mind:

Greed—wanting more for oneself.

Hatred—becoming angry or irritated when things go against one's wishes.

Sloth and torpor—drowsiness and mental dullness.

Doubt—doubting the path of practice.

Restlessness—fidgeting and agitation.

The Master emphasizes:

"When you break through the hindrance of sloth and torpor, you can stay awake when you want to be awake and sleep when you want to sleep. But if you climb up and then keep nodding off, that means you have not yet broken through the hindrance of sloth and torpor."

However, breaking through the five hindrances only makes one a person who has attained meditative concentration, not yet a noble one. There is another, far deeper path.

Attaining Concentration Is Not Attaining Noble Realization: A Subtle Distinction

Master Thich Chan Quang makes it clear: one who attains meditative concentration breaks the hindrances; one who attains noble realization breaks the fetters. The fetters are instincts far deeper. For example, to attain the fruit of Stream-Entry, one must break three fetters: self-view (selfishness), doubt (uncertainty about right and wrong), and attachment to rites and rituals (clinging to rules and precepts). The difference between the hindrance of greed and the fetter of self-view is a telling example:

"A person who has broken the hindrance of greed no longer needs money—they would dump it all away. But if they have broken the fetter of self-view, they will give that money away in generosity to others. The two are worlds apart."

A person who has broken the hindrance of doubt has intense self-confidence, but it can sometimes become extreme. A person who has broken the fetter of doubt possesses wisdom that discerns right from wrong down to the finest detail. They hold absolute reverence for the Buddha. The Master tells of a silent noble one:

"When Buddhism was in danger, he was the one who wrote the petition asking to immolate himself. That heart was a heart of utter selflessness. A heart devoted to the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) and to sentient beings. If he had only attained meditative concentration, he would have packed his bag and gone up to the mountains, indifferent to the affairs of the world."

Therefore, without noble ones, the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) will decline. A person who has attained meditative concentration displays only their own personal ease, while a noble one lives selflessly for sentient beings.

The Purpose of Practicing Meditation: Do Not Choose the Wrong Place to Learn

Today, there are many places teaching meditation with different purposes. Some people practice meditation for health, to relieve stress, or to gain supernatural abilities. Master Thich Chan Quang warns:

"If a place teaches meditation only to improve health, is it necessary to go there and learn? No. Because that is not our goal of attaining the noble fruits. That is not Buddhism."

The goal of a Buddhist disciple is liberation, is attaining the noble fruits. Therefore, before choosing a meditation retreat, find out where that place will lead you. If it stops only at health or supernatural powers, that is not yet the complete path.

Living Like a Noble One

Even if we have not yet attained noble realization, we can still cultivate the qualities of a noble one. Master Thich Chan Quang encourages us:

"We are people who have shaved our heads and donned the kasaya robes; we must practice so as to have the essence of a noble one. Even if we have not yet attained noble realization, we must have the qualities of a noble one. A lifetime of diligence and right effort, utterly selfless, always concerned for the destiny of the Buddha's teachings (Dharma), always concerned for the benefit of sentient beings."

Let us begin with the breath, with keeping the mind tranquil, and with compassion for all. The path to attaining the noble fruits is the path of selfless hearts. Let us practice with diligence—not only to attain meditative concentration, but to live like a noble one amid everyday life.