The Joy of Meditative Concentration

In the realm of Buddha Dharma Minh Nhu Lai, there are no hell beings, hungry ghosts, or animals. The beings there are all born by transformation, free of sensual desire, their bodies radiating light, flying about freely. They do not need to eat the coarse foods we do, but partake of only two kinds of nourishment: the food of dharma joy and the food of meditative delight.

The food of dharma joy is the happiness that comes from abiding in the true Dharma and practicing correctly. The food of meditative delight is the joy that arises during meditative concentration, so that one feels fully nourished and content without eating or drinking. It may sound idealistic, but in truth, even within this very life, we can taste it if we know how to gather the mind and practice meditation.

There are Buddhist practitioners who, after a period of sitting meditation, find their minds gathered and purified, and they experience a profound inner peace. This joy cannot be found in any worldly amusement whatsoever. They see that what ordinary people call happiness—wealth, status, fine clothes, delicious food—are merely frivolous games. It is the peace within meditative concentration that is the supreme joy, worthy of a lifetime of devotion.

There was once a woman studying the Dharma who practiced meditation. When she attained a meditative state and her mind became gathered and pure, she transcended worldly desires. Her husband, somewhat displeased, complained: "It is this teacher who taught my wife to practice, and now the joy of our family is lost." But in truth, this was a wholesome thing. One who knows how to practice, who knows how to let go of ordinary pleasures in order to seek a nobler joy, is truly precious.

The Buddha was always seated in meditation. That image is a wordless lesson reminding us: gather your mind, and do not let it wander in scattered thoughts. Whether clever or dull, all people share the same affliction—thinking. Endless thinking prevents truth and happiness from revealing themselves. When the mind settles, becoming clear and awake, we experience a special happiness unlike anything we have known before.

The meaning of this story: True happiness does not lie in material things, status, or worldly pleasures. The joy within meditative concentration, when the mind is peaceful and pure, is the supreme joy, worthy of a lifetime of devotion. Let us strive to practice, gathering the mind into concentration, so that we may taste the sweetness of dharma joy and meditative delight even in this very life.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang.