In Buddhism, it is indeed very difficult to educate or guide people in the Desire Realm (the material world filled with desires for men and women, food and sleep, etc.) to reach the first dhyana stage of the Form Realm.
According to the famous Zen master Master Hsuan Hua's many Zen retreat teachings and his explanation of the Surangama Sutra, the reason why this process is difficult is that ordinary people cannot easily eliminate "lust" and "habitual afflictions".
The following, based on the compassionate teachings of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, explains why reaching the "First Dhyana Stage" is so difficult, and the key reasons behind it:
1. The core hurdle: The complete eradication of lustful desires is essential.
In his brief explanation of the Surangama Sutra, Master Hsuan Hua clearly pointed out that the Form Realm (Brahma's Assembly Heaven, Brahma's Assistant Heaven, and Great Brahma Heaven) is above the Desire Realm. The heavenly beings born there are all born through transformation, "all of them are male, and there are no women."
The Venerable Master explained: The cause of suffering in the Desire Realm is "desire," especially lust. Practitioners, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, must achieve "absence of all thoughts and attachments," meaning their minds are completely free of any lustful thoughts. Only then can they be said to have pure conduct and no longer cling to the Desire Realm.
Why is it difficult? Ordinary beings are bound by love and material desires life after life. To refrain from worldly desires (wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep) after meditation, and to subdue these heavy habitual tendencies during meditation, is like rowing against the current for most people—extremely difficult.
2. Ordinary People Find it Difficult to Endure the "Suffering and Pain" of Spiritual Practice
Master Hsuan Hua often strictly supervised his disciples during meditation retreats, frankly stating that modern people lack unwavering willpower. He instructed: "In spiritual practice, one must not be afraid of suffering or difficulty. When sitting on the meditation bench, ignore leg pain, ignore backache… absolutely do not surrender to pain." Many beings in the desire realm, upon encountering leg pain, backache, or drowsiness (the demon of sleep), develop a wavering resolve and are unable to achieve enlightenment within the prescribed time. This is one of the reasons why educators find it difficult to lead the masses into samadhi.
3. The True State of the First Dhyana: Cessation of Breath
Many people mistakenly believe that feeling light and comfortable during meditation means they have entered samadhi. Master Hsuan Hua specifically corrected this misunderstanding and provided the criteria for testing the first dhyana:
The first stage of dhyana is also known as "the stage of joy and bliss arising from detachment" (meaning the practitioner's mind is freed from the evil dharmas of the desire realm and the five desires (wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep), thus generating a special feeling of joy and bliss). When truly entering the first dhyana, external breathing completely ceases, but internal breathing becomes active (like a tortoise hibernating).
Master Hsuan Hua frankly stated that this is only the first step in cultivation, not even a fruition. However, it is already very difficult for ordinary people to achieve the self-cultivation skill of "stopping the breath".
4. Misconceptions about blind spiritual practice.
Master Hsuan Hua mentioned that some people "have no wisdom without meditation," and may just be sitting in meditation blindly without understanding the true method of practice. As long as even a trace of "defilements/outflows" (various afflictions) related to material desires and gluttony remains in the mind, one will absolutely not enter the first dhyana. Therefore, educators must not only teach the posture of meditation but also expend great effort to correct the learner's selfishness, self-interest, greed, and jealousy.
In conclusion, Master Hsuan Hua once said that things in the world are "not difficult because you haven't tried; difficult because you lack perseverance and willpower." The difficulty in crossing from the Desire Realm to the first stage of Dhyana in the Form Realm lies in sentient beings' inability to "let go of worldly defilements and desires." Therefore, to successfully educate and guide someone to the first stage of Dhyana, besides the teacher's skillful means and strict rebukes, the most important thing is whether the practitioner themselves possesses the great spirit of "liberating themselves from the cycle of birth and death and persevering through countless setbacks."
