Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "三摩地" in Chinese language version.
Although a number of highly esteemed scholars have written descriptions of the first, second, third, and fourth jh¯ana, what's written is merely external information. If the mind actually enters these states of profound peace, it doesn’t know anything about those written descriptions. It knows, but what it knows isn’t the same as the theory we study. If the scholars try to clutch their theory and drag it into their meditation, sitting and pondering, “Hmmm...what could this be? Is this first jh¯ana yet?” There! The peace is shattered, and they don’t experience anything of real value. And why is that? Because there is desire, and once there’s craving what happens? The mind simultaneously withdraws out of the meditation. So it’s necessary for all of us to relinquish thinking and speculation. Abandon them completely. Just take up the body, speech and mind and delve entirely into the practice. Observe the workings of the mind, but don’t lug the Dhamma books in there with you. Otherwise everything becomes a big mess, because nothing in those books corresponds precisely to the reality of the way things truly are.
The Venerable Buddhaghosa (who wrote the Visuddhimagga) invented these terms. Parikamma samadhi (preparatory concentration), upacara samadhi (access concentration), appanasamadhi (absorption concentration) —even these are his own words. You don't find these terms in the suttas, either. So therefore we don't see any evidence for supporting dry insight in the suttas.
云何為盡諦？所謂盡諦者，愛欲結永盡無餘，是謂盡諦。云何為道諦？所謂賢聖八品道是。正見、正治、正語、正方便、正命、正業、正念、正定，是謂道諦也。彼眾生快得善利，乃能聞此四諦之法。
The practices of the Four Jhanas and the Four Formless Concentrations are not necessary for arriving at the fruit of practice, the awakened mind. The methods of mindfulness taught by the Buddha in the Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness can be seen as the incomparable path leading to emancipation. Although the Anapanasati and Satipatthana Suttas do not refer to the Four Jhanas and the Four Formless Concentrations, we should not conclude that they do not emphasize the importance of concentration. Meditation has two aspects: stopping (shamatha), and observation or looking deeply (vipashyana). Stopping is concentration, and looking deeply is insight. The Full Awareness of the Breath, or of any other object such as the body, the feelings, the mind, the objects of mind, and so forth, all aim at the goal of concentrating the mind on an object so that it is possible to see the object in all its depth. Concentrating the mind is stopping it from running around from one object to another in order to stay with just one object. We stay with one object in order to observe it and look deeply into it. In this way, stopping and observing become one.
汝等亦當復自作，至無事處山林樹下空安靜處，宴坐思惟，勿得放逸，勤加精進，無令後悔。此是我之教勅，是我訓誨。
Meditate monks. Do not be negligent. Do not regret later. This is our instruction to you.
何等為，賢者！直正定？若，賢者！道德弟子，苦為念苦，習為念習，盡為念盡，道為念道，意止故不動不走，已攝止故意念在一，是名為直正定。
汝等亦當復自作，至無事處山林樹下空安靜處，宴坐思惟，勿得放逸，勤加精進，無令後悔。此是我之教勅，是我訓誨。
Meditate monks. Do not be negligent. Do not regret later. This is our instruction to you.
如鳥有雙翼，禪修有止觀，雙翼互相依，止和觀並行
The practices of the Four Jhanas and the Four Formless Concentrations are not necessary for arriving at the fruit of practice, the awakened mind. The methods of mindfulness taught by the Buddha in the Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness can be seen as the incomparable path leading to emancipation. Although the Anapanasati and Satipatthana Suttas do not refer to the Four Jhanas and the Four Formless Concentrations, we should not conclude that they do not emphasize the importance of concentration. Meditation has two aspects: stopping (shamatha), and observation or looking deeply (vipashyana). Stopping is concentration, and looking deeply is insight. The Full Awareness of the Breath, or of any other object such as the body, the feelings, the mind, the objects of mind, and so forth, all aim at the goal of concentrating the mind on an object so that it is possible to see the object in all its depth. Concentrating the mind is stopping it from running around from one object to another in order to stay with just one object. We stay with one object in order to observe it and look deeply into it. In this way, stopping and observing become one.
Although a number of highly esteemed scholars have written descriptions of the first, second, third, and fourth jh¯ana, what's written is merely external information. If the mind actually enters these states of profound peace, it doesn’t know anything about those written descriptions. It knows, but what it knows isn’t the same as the theory we study. If the scholars try to clutch their theory and drag it into their meditation, sitting and pondering, “Hmmm...what could this be? Is this first jh¯ana yet?” There! The peace is shattered, and they don’t experience anything of real value. And why is that? Because there is desire, and once there’s craving what happens? The mind simultaneously withdraws out of the meditation. So it’s necessary for all of us to relinquish thinking and speculation. Abandon them completely. Just take up the body, speech and mind and delve entirely into the practice. Observe the workings of the mind, but don’t lug the Dhamma books in there with you. Otherwise everything becomes a big mess, because nothing in those books corresponds precisely to the reality of the way things truly are.
The Venerable Buddhaghosa (who wrote the Visuddhimagga) invented these terms. Parikamma samadhi (preparatory concentration), upacara samadhi (access concentration), appanasamadhi (absorption concentration) —even these are his own words. You don't find these terms in the suttas, either. So therefore we don't see any evidence for supporting dry insight in the suttas.
云何為盡諦？所謂盡諦者，愛欲結永盡無餘，是謂盡諦。云何為道諦？所謂賢聖八品道是。正見、正治、正語、正方便、正命、正業、正念、正定，是謂道諦也。彼眾生快得善利，乃能聞此四諦之法。
云何正定？謂聖弟子念苦是苦時, 習是習, 滅是滅, 念道是 道時, 或觀本所作, 或學念諸行, 或見諸行災患, 或見涅槃止息, 或無著念觀善心解脫 時, 於中若心住, 禪住, 順住, 不亂, 不散, 攝, 止, 正定, 是名正定.
何等為，賢者！直正定？若，賢者！道德弟子，苦為念苦，習為念習，盡為念盡，道為念道，意止故不動不走，已攝止故意念在一，是名為直正定。
The practices of the Four Jhanas and the Four Formless Concentrations are not necessary for arriving at the fruit of practice, the awakened mind. The methods of mindfulness taught by the Buddha in the Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness can be seen as the incomparable path leading to emancipation. Although the Anapanasati and Satipatthana Suttas do not refer to the Four Jhanas and the Four Formless Concentrations, we should not conclude that they do not emphasize the importance of concentration. Meditation has two aspects: stopping (shamatha), and observation or looking deeply (vipashyana). Stopping is concentration, and looking deeply is insight. The Full Awareness of the Breath, or of any other object such as the body, the feelings, the mind, the objects of mind, and so forth, all aim at the goal of concentrating the mind on an object so that it is possible to see the object in all its depth. Concentrating the mind is stopping it from running around from one object to another in order to stay with just one object. We stay with one object in order to observe it and look deeply into it. In this way, stopping and observing become one.
