The Definition of True Seeing

In a dharma talk at Phap Dan Pagoda, Venerable Thich Chan Quang shared a short yet profound story about the extraordinary realization of Great Master Zhiyi, the patriarch of the Tiantai school. This narrative serves as a deep reminder for all who walk the path of spiritual cultivation.

One day, in a quiet hermitage, a monk sat in meditative concentration. He had practiced for many years and achieved some success in his meditation. During a deep state of absorption, he experienced something miraculous. His consciousness seemed to stretch hundreds of miles away, piercing through dense forests and mountains. He clearly saw another person sitting in meditation in a small temple on a distant peak. He even perceived that this other practitioner was contemplating impermanence (anicca).

Pride suddenly surged within the monk’s mind/heart. He thought, "How wonderful! Sitting here, I can see someone practicing far away in the mountains. Surely I have attained a high and sublime realm." When Great Master Zhiyi visited the hermitage, the monk did not even bother to stand up to greet him. He remained seated with a self-satisfied expression and boasted, "Venerable Master, my consciousness can traverse space. I know there is another monk meditating in the distant mountains, and I know his practice method as well."

Great Master Zhiyi looked at him with bright eyes full of compassion, devoid of any judgment. He spoke gently, "That is merely an external state of concentration, and it is very shallow. It comes and goes; it is not stable. And because of your proud and boastful mind, it has already vanished. Do you realize this? That state disappeared from your body and mind instantly; it is no longer there."

Hearing this gentle but precisely accurate rebuke, the monk was stunned. He realized clearly that the clairvoyant state had indeed completely vanished, even before he could react. His mind became empty, and with that emptiness came a deep sense of shame. He hurriedly stood up and bowed his head, saying, "I... I did not realize. I had become arrogant and conceited."

The story ends there, but its lesson remains eternal. Venerable Thich Chan Quang emphasized that most sentient beings, upon achieving any unusual state in their practice—even a slight stillness or clarity—immediately assume they have attained enlightenment or "realized the Way." This is a chronic illness and a form of wrong view. As long as one takes pride in such minor states, merit is depleted, and the practitioner will struggle through many lifetimes in samsara (cycle of rebirth) to recover what was lost.

Only a true master of high attainment, like Great Master Zhiyi, possesses the "eye" to see that a state appearing to be supernatural clairvoyance is actually shallow and insignificant. He understood that on the spiritual path, the truth is still far away and difficult to reach. For instance, even if one achieves a state of mindfulness and alertness—where the mind is clear, unmoving, impervious to delusions, and unshaken by adversity—one must maintain this state for thirty kalpas while accumulating more merit just to attain the first jhana.

The story of Great Master Zhiyi, though brief, is a profound warning. Without the guidance of a wise teacher, practitioners easily fall into the trap of believing they have arrived. Then, one day, they realize how far they still have to go, only to find their merit damaged, forcing them to start over from scratch. This is a tremendous loss.

The Meaning of the Story

This tale reminds practitioners to always remain humble and to seek guidance from a teacher with "clear eyes." The path to enlightenment is long and arduous. Once one gains a little proficiency, a particular state, or experience, one must absolutely avoid pride or boasting. That is precisely the moment when the state may vanish and merit is lost. True awakening is not about showing off what we "know" or "see," but recognizing how little we truly know and acknowledging the long road ahead.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang