I am better than you are.

我比你们行

Q: I have sat in meditation for so long, why have not I entered samadhi?

A: It is because you are sitting there indulging in false thinking and not really cultivating. That is why you have not entered samadhi. In the past, people used to become enlightened very quickly if they really cultivated vigorously and could see their true nature. Nowadays, many people just cultivate superficially and are not able to deeply enter samadhi. They may sit in meditation for an hour, two hours, three, four, five, six hours or even one day at a time, and never become enlightened. Why is that the case?

It is because they have the mentality of competing with others. They want others to look at them, and they think, “Look at me! I have sat for the longest time in meditation and have the most experience in cultivation. I am much more capable than all of you.” It is precisely due to such a competitive mentality that they may meditate for eighty thousand great eons and never become enlightened.

问：我双跏趺坐坐了这么久，怎么也没有入定？

答：因为你坐在这儿尽打妄想，你没有真正晓得用功，所以没有入定。古来的人用功很快就开悟，明心见性；现在的人用功用来用去，只在皮毛上转转，没能深入三昧，就是能坐一点钟、两点钟、三点钟、四点钟五点钟、六点钟、甚至可以坐一天，也没有开悟，为什么呢？

就因为他们是和人比赛，要人看看自己：「你看看我坐的时间最久，你看我修行年头也最多，我比你们行，比你们好！」因为心里有这种胜负心、和人比赛的心，所以就算能坐八万个大劫，也不能开悟。