Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

process, still they mutually help each other. Without
samatha good samapatti cannot occur; without samapatti
one's samatha cannot be enlarged in length and depth.
Therefore, as a foundation, samatha is important, but for
the final goal, samapatti is essential. For those going
along this way, it should be noted carefully that all
stages of the Bodhisattva path also depend on these two.
C. Why Hinayana Meditations Must be Practiced
before the Mahayana
1. Historical Role of the Hinayana
There is good advice for us in the history of China
where, from the Han to the Tang dynasties, both the
Lesser and the Greater Vehicles were followed. As a
result there were many sages at this time, some of them
even Arhats. In their biographies we read that at death
the bodies of these noble ones revealed certain signs
identifying their attainment. If they had attained
Arhatship then the index finger of the right hand turned
up and backwards; anagamin (non-returner) attainment
was indicated by the middle finger similarly turning,
and so on for the sakrdagamin (once-returner) (ring
finger) and srotaapanna (stream-enterer) (little finger).
Such records indicate that the Hinayana was at this time
very alive and vigorous.
Many monks following the Mahayana have taken up
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