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The Circle of Precepts, Concentration, and Insight
The talk continues on the Threefold Training, emphasizing that Precepts, Concentration, and Insight are not a straight line but a circle. In the precepts, there is concentration and insight; in insight, there are precepts and concentration; and in concentration, there are precepts and insight. One contains the other two, which is called tương dung (this one contains that one). Related concepts are also explained, including interbeing (tương tức, this is that) and interpenetration (tương nhập, this enters into that). The precepts are not a set of prohibitions but the fruit of concentration and insight, a voluntary acceptance of rules for living that come from within.
The precepts, or śīla, are one of the six perfections (pāramitā) that bring us to the other shore of liberation. The talk distinguishes between śīla (precepts) and vinaya (monastic code). Vinaya is a broader concept, including the precepts, the rules of the monastery, and the fine manners. Terms related to the precepts are clarified, such as giới tướng (the detailed presentation of the precepts) and giới thể (the living energy of the precepts within us). The Buddhist canon is introduced through the Tam Tạng (Tripiṭaka), or the three baskets:
- The Sutra Piṭaka
- The Vinaya Piṭaka
- The Abhidharma Piṭaka
The final part of the talk focuses on concentration (samadhi), defined as one-pointed attention on an object. To attain concentration easily, we should choose an object of meditation that brings us joy. The practice does not only use the conscious mind but must also engage the deeper part of our consciousness, the store consciousness (ālaya vijñāna). Even when we are asleep, the store consciousness continues to work. Concentration is also called đẳng trì, which means maintaining a state of balance, not falling into the two extremes of dullness (torpor, sleepiness) and agitation (over-excitement).
