What is meditation? What is concentration?
Simply put, meditation means not to be affected by the external environment. And concentration means to maintain an undisturbed mind. The mind must remain pure, with no discriminations, no worries, and no attachments: This is concentration.
The Buddha said in the Diamond Sutra: “Do not cling to [illusory] phenomena; maintain an undisturbed mind.” The first part is meditation, and the second part is concentration.
We can clearly see that practicing meditative concentration does not mean meditating facing the wall every day. This is only one of the many forms of practice. In actuality, in your everyday activities, you are practicing meditative concentration when you remain undisturbed and unattached.
In the Avatamsaka Sutra, where did the Bodhisattvas practice meditative concentration? At the market! The sutra mentions sichan, which means a bustling bazaar. The Bodhisattvas went “window-shopping” to practice meditative concentration. You should understand that when they were window-shopping, they saw everything clearly. That is wisdom. They saw and understood everything clearly, and none of these things could tempt them.
To remain untempted is “meditation.”
To maintain an undisturbed mind is “concentration.”
What did the bodhisattvas cultivate when they went window-shopping? They cultivated meditative concentration and wisdom, unlike ordinary people who, attracted by everything they see, desire everything. When one is affected, there is no meditative concentration.
We should know that meditative concentration is true enjoyment. Meditative concentration and wisdom are the utmost enjoyments in life.
~ Ven. Master Chin Kung