Theoretical Realization and Practical Realization
Chapter 9: How to Ensure the Manas Realizes the Truth
1. In the investigation of all dharmas, at the beginning the manas cooperates with the mind consciousness in thinking and analysis, cooperating with the mind consciousness in gathering all kinds of data and information; when the mind consciousness has gathered sufficiently full information, enough for the manas to make use of, the mind consciousness must then cooperate with the manas in deep deliberation, cooperate with the manas in processing and integrating work, cooperate with the manas in examining and filtering work, letting the manas expend more mental effort while the mind consciousness is less active; then the work of investigation can be completed very quickly.
If one wants the mind consciousness to engage less in active thinking and the manas to deliberate more, one must cultivate meditative concentration (samādhi); only in meditative concentration can the manas be guaranteed to investigate single-mindedly. Although He cannot be completely fixed on one object, being fixed on a very few dharmas is enough; apart from the dharma meanings that need concentrated investigation, the others only need to be cognized slightly, without affecting one's own investigation. Thus contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) must be done within meditative concentration; the mind consciousness must not engage in emotional speculation and intellectual understanding, but should make much use of the manas's deliberation (manasikāra), fully and effectively exercising the manas's deliberation, personally realizing that the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) are without self. This is the secret of contemplative practice and investigating Chan.
Therefore, if the manas does not realize the dharma, it is impossible to see the mind and attain enlightenment, and likewise impossible to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa). In investigating Chan and practicing contemplation within meditative concentration, one should use the mind consciousness's thinking less and use the manas's deliberative nature more; this is the secret of investigating Chan and contemplative practice.
2. Western psychologists have said that the best way to make the subconscious remember things is to enter a drowsy, hazy state, or a state resembling sleep. In such a state, all efforts at the level of consciousness are reduced to a minimum. Then, all ideas can be transmitted to the subconscious through imagery, in a quiet, passive, receptive manner.
This is a good method for permeating and hypnotizing the manas. For eradicating the view of self and subduing afflictions, one can use this method of self-hypnosis, which is also the fastest and most effective method. Self-hypnosis can directly enable the manas to cognize and accept the selflessness of the five aggregates.
Relaxation, quietness, drowsiness, and just having woken up—these are all times when there is meditative concentration and the mind is not scattered; at the same time there is still the mind consciousness, whose thinking power is relatively weak, which has a cognitive function, with small force of operation, able to observe the manas and able to transmit information to the manas; moreover, the manas's function is more prominent than usual, greater than usual. Then, at this time, influencing, persuading, and permeating the manas to change the manas is the optimal opportunity. Contemplative practice for eradicating the view of self is also best in this state: there is meditative concentration, there is the mind consciousness, the manas's force of operation is great, and its susceptibility to influence is also great; then the concept that the five aggregates are not self can be transmitted and instilled into the manas, letting the manas acknowledge and accept it.
3. How to Practice Contemplation on the Emptiness of the Grasping Subject and the Grasped Object and Eradicate the View of Self
What grasps is the seven consciousnesses; what is grasped is the six sense objects and the myriad dharmas. Observing the emptiness of subject and object requires relatively good meditative power before contemplative practice and thinking can be done. The prerequisites are: first, meditative concentration must be complete; second, one must have a rough understanding of the principle that the five aggregates are illusory; then, according to what has been understood, practice contemplation and thinking in sequence, contemplating the emptiness of the grasping seven consciousnesses' minds, and one must observe clearly and thoroughly. The mind must acknowledge the illusory, non-self nature of the six consciousnesses; observe the grasped six sense objects and myriad dharmas clearly and thoroughly, including the dharmas of the five-aggregate world—all must be contemplated to reveal their illusory, arising-and-ceasing, mutable, unreal nature.
The illusoriness of the six sense objects is easy to contemplate. In the Saṃyukta Āgama, the World-Honored One taught how to contemplate the illusoriness of the six sense objects; while reading, think about how the six sense objects are illusory, contemplating and practicing one item by one item. Contemplate along with the text, think along with the text; when the thinking is thorough, one can acknowledge those principles. Without thinking and contemplative practice, the mind consciousness only superficially knowing those principles is of no use; with logical thinking one can find grounds and evidence to prove the correctness of the theory. When it is contemplated out, the mind will say: Oh, so that's how it is! Then the manas acknowledges it.
Contemplative practice always has a process; in the end the mind will say: So that's how it is! At this point one truly knows—this is the manas's acknowledgment; otherwise it is only the mind consciousness's superficial knowing, and the mind consciousness's knowing is often of little use. Many people can speak the principles, but in fact their own minds do not acknowledge them, because the manas does not understand these principles and does not know exactly why. For the manas to understand, the mind consciousness must contemplate and practice the content of these theories; the process of contemplative practice is imperceptibly influencing the manas, telling the manas: it is like this, this is the principle, the evidence must be sufficient. Every content the mind consciousness analyzes is transmitted to the manas; the manas can then cognize these contents and understand the principle; if the mind consciousness does not practice contemplation or think, the manas does not know, and the view of self cannot be eradicated.
4. When the mind consciousness practices contemplation on the five aggregates, the information of the contemplation is simultaneously transmitted to the manas. If the manas does not understand the first time, nor the second, over time it can understand and be permeated, agreeing with the results of the mind consciousness's contemplative practice; this is the result of the manas activating its own distinctive deliberative and judgmental nature. If there is meditative concentration, the manas can also, following the line of the mind consciousness's contemplative thinking, deliberate on its own, or deliberate together with the mind consciousness, or deliberate alone. The more evidence the mind consciousness finds and the more clearly the principles are explained, the more deeply the manas is permeated, and the more the manas can deliberate on its own, thereby together with the mind consciousness jointly eradicating the view of self and jointly attaining the fruits of realization.
5. When contemplative practice falls into deep thought, there is the manas's deep pondering within; when pacing back and forth while thinking, there is the mind consciousness's thinking, and even more the manas's deliberation and consideration. If the mind consciousness's power is great, the manas's power is small; if the mind consciousness expends less mental effort, the manas's power is great, and solving problems also has force.
The mode of communication between the mind consciousness and the manas is generally by way of asking and answering oneself. No matter who asks and who answers, in the end it is the manas that acknowledges and approves; only when the manas makes the final decision and choice is the problem considered solved.
Contemplating the five aggregates, investigating a huatou, investigating Chan, and inquiry—all follow the same principle as asking and answering oneself; all are relationships of close cooperation between the two consciousnesses. When the mind consciousness exists, the two consciousnesses have never been separated for even a single instant; whatever the mind consciousness thinks and considers is directed by the manas, never having escaped the manas's control and cooperation; there has never been a situation where the mind consciousness thinks alone while the manas does not participate—if the manas does not participate, the mind consciousness ceases and does not exist; the mind consciousness cannot operate independently apart from the manas.
And when there is no mind consciousness existing and thinking, the manas can still work alone, never having rested. Imputing and grasping (parikalpita-svabhāva), deliberating at all times and making decisions everywhere—even during sleep, coma, and before and after death, the manas has never been idle. Therefore, if the two consciousnesses do not have a close cooperative relationship, it is impossible to break through and become enlightened, impossible to eradicate the view of self; if there is no participation of the mind consciousness, there is no data or information, no knowledge of details, and the evidence is insufficient; if the manas does not participate in deliberation, the result is a question without an answer—there is no answer, no result, and it remains stored in the manas's mind as an unresolved problem, awaiting the manas to slowly solve it, which could be at any unpredictable time.
6. The mind consciousness's observation and thinking—their process and results—can influence the manas, letting the manas become convinced, and it also has the same thoughts and mindfulness. As long as the manas's thoughts and mindfulness are accomplished, all dharmas will be accomplished, because there is the tathāgatagarbha supporting them. Everything the mind consciousness does is nothing more than providing the manas with material for decision-making, directing the next step of bodily, verbal, and mental actions; it is nothing more than permeating, influencing, and changing the manas—apart from this there is no substantial meaning, because it does not make the decisions, is not the boss. The manas is the boss who can make decisions, and behind the boss there is a president—the most powerful one.
Therefore, when we study and practice the Buddha's dharma, we must engage in thinking—the deeper and finer the better, the more comprehensive the better; the process is the process of letting the manas understand and confirm. Without the process, the manas cannot confirm, and no dharma can be accomplished; therefore the process is more important than the result. Many people who study the dharma want only the result, not the process—how can they then realize the Buddha's dharma and thereby change themselves and change everything?
Within the process there is content, there is data, there is information; when the content is complete, the data complete, the information complete and whole, with conclusive evidence, the manas will believe—this is realization. To gather complete data and information and engage in deep, fine thinking, one must have meditative concentration, the mind able to be unified and deep, without distraction. This is a necessary condition for realization, indispensable.
7. The manas is also influenced and permeated by the mind consciousness's incorrect thinking, making erroneous choices. For beginningless kalpas, the mind consciousness has been deliberately or inadvertently deceiving the manas, telling the manas that the five aggregates are the self, that all dharmas are mine, that the world of the five aggregates is beautiful and happy and should be pursued tirelessly without letting go; the mind consciousness plays the role of a false teacher, and so the manas greedily clings to the worldly five desires and grasps at the five aggregates as itself. Before and after eradicating the view of self, the mind consciousness begins to act as the manas's good teacher and helpful friend; after reforming itself, it then helps the manas reform as well, together subduing afflictions, eradicating ignorance, together transforming consciousness into wisdom, advancing hand in hand.
8. If the mind consciousness has no process of thinking, it simply cannot persuade the manas. The manas is both ignorant and stubborn; one must present the facts and reason things out, presenting all the direct perceptions (pratyakṣa) to Him before He will acknowledge the facts. Because He Himself cannot perform deep, fine analysis, synthesis, and organization, He must rely on the mind consciousness to provide evidence. If no reasoning is given to Him, and He is forced to acknowledge some principle and thereby change Himself, that will not work; therefore one must present facts and reason things out to Him. Through repeated observation and verification from many angles, one derives a series of factual grounds, making these principles into a very clear fact that the mind consciousness itself cannot but acknowledge—that the aggregate of volitional formations is indeed impermanent and without self; this is verbal assent. Furthermore, the manas also cannot but acknowledge that the aggregate of volitional formations is suffering, empty, impermanent, and not self; this is heartfelt assent. After both verbal and heartfelt assent, the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses can undergo a fundamental transformation, and from then on there can be peace throughout the world.
9. How to Eradicate the Manas's Grasping Nature
If the manas's grasping and clinging nature is subdued, then when one sits down there, the mind is empty and meditative concentration manifests; walking, standing, sitting, and lying down is like being in empty space. When clinging lessens, body and mind are tranquil and at ease. Therefore emptiness first empties the manas; only afterwards can the mind consciousness truly be empty, the mind empty and clear.
To remove the manas's grasping of the five aggregates, one must let the manas, in a state of meditative concentration, slowly and finely, following the mind consciousness's contemplative practice, slowly deliberate on the content that the mind consciousness has contemplated and thought about; when the manas truly deliberates and understands, confirming that the five aggregates are indeed empty and illusory, then the selflessness of the five aggregates is realized. If only the mind consciousness knows this principle while the manas does not confirm or affirm it, it does not count as realization. If the manas has no meditative concentration and is scattered and grasping at objects, it has no way to concentrate on considering the dharma meanings and cannot attain realization. Only when the manas has meditative concentration, is not scattered and grasping, with the mind focused and concentrated, can it deliberate and observe, and finally confirm; then ignorance is eradicated.
In actual contemplative practice, first contemplate how the aggregate of form arises and how it ceases, contemplate how the aggregate of feeling arises and how it ceases, slowly and carefully deliberating and observing, slowly accepting the suffering, emptiness, and impermanence of the aggregate of form and the aggregate of feeling. If there is no meditative concentration, there is only the mind consciousness's thinking and analysis, which cannot penetrate to the manas; the manas cannot accept this principle and may even resist it.
Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of perception: for example, when drinking tea, observe how the knowing of the tea's flavor arises and how it ceases; when hearing sounds, observe how the knowing and grasping of the sounds arises and how it subsides. Give the manas a certain amount of time and energy, slowly and quietly letting the manas think and deliberate, letting Him accept, letting Him generate His own deliberation following the mind consciousness's direct perception. When there is meditative concentration, contemplative practice can penetrate to the manas; all dharmas are to let the manas accept and acknowledge, and then the manas decides to change—the manas believes only what is seen with the eyes is real.
Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of volitional formations—the arising and ceasing of bodily, verbal, and mental actions; the whole series of behaviors of taking tea, brewing tea, and drinking tea are all the aggregate of volitional formations. Observe how the aggregate of volitional formations arises and ceases, how it is suffering, empty, and impermanent, how it is without self; then when the manas affirms it, the view of self is eradicated, and subsequent practice is to slowly eradicate the grasping of self. Contemplative practice requires meditative concentration; within concentration, let the manas have sufficient time and energy to deliberate on the dharma, personally proving the selflessness of the five aggregates. When the manas is grasping everywhere and very busy, it simply has no energy to think about and confirm the dharma meanings permeated by the mind consciousness.
Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of consciousness: when the eye sees forms, observe how the eye consciousness arises and ceases; when hearing sounds, observe how the ear consciousness arises and ceases. Observe in this way one consciousness at a time, observing the arising and ceasing, illusoriness, impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and selflessness of the six consciousnesses; one must observe slowly and meticulously, penetrating to the manas, letting the manas think, observe, and acknowledge along with it; once the manas acknowledges, it can slowly relax its grasping of the five aggregates, and the eradication of the grasping of self has hope.
10. Realization is like a proof problem in geometry: the teacher gives a problem—this is the conclusion—and a process of calculation, inference, and proof is needed in between. If the process is correct, the reasoning rigorous, logical, with sufficient evidence, the conclusion consistent with the proposition will naturally be reached. The calculation and inference in between is the process of proof; this process represents the student's intelligence and level of knowledge. When the result derived from the process matches the proposition, the problem is proven, the grade is passing, or full marks are given. If the derivation process is not rigorous, careless with loopholes, the conclusion consistent with the proposition cannot be naturally reached, the truth and correctness of the proposition cannot be proven, and forcibly arriving at that conclusion, the grade is failing. And the conclusion was already there, given by the teacher; it is not the student's own wisdom of realization. Only the process displays the student's intelligence and level of knowledge.
Likewise, proving a conclusion given by the Buddha in the Buddha's dharma is the same. For example, the Buddha tells sentient beings that the five aggregates are suffering, empty, impermanent, and without self—this is the conclusion, and the disciples need to go through their own deep, fine contemplative practice and thinking to reach a conclusion consistent with the Buddha's noble pronouncements. In the process of contemplative practice and thinking, whether the content is detailed, whether the contemplation is logical, whether it can fully clarify the matter, whether it can enable the manas to confirm—this is extremely important.
It is not the case that if we repeat a conclusion given by the Buddha once or even a hundred times, it represents our own realization. Even if repeated a hundred million times, without the intermediate process of thinking and proof, it is merely a parrot repeating words, with no manifestation of wisdom, no wisdom of realization; therefore it is not enlightenment.
The same applies to the Mahāyāna: every word of the Buddha is a conclusion, a proposition, requiring each of us disciples to prove it through fine thinking and investigation within meditative concentration. The process of investigation and thinking represents each person's wisdom of realization; without the process, only the result, that is plagiarizing the Buddha's noble pronouncements, not being one who has realized enlightenment.
Another example: the Buddha tells sentient beings that the physical body is suffering and is not self—this is a conclusion, also called a truth. Then the disciples should practice contemplation and thinking within meditative concentration on how exactly the physical body is suffering. The words "how exactly" contain extremely broad content, requiring the disciples to gather evidence broadly and finely, then comprehensively think and organize it, to prove the suffering nature of the physical body. Then think further about why what is suffering is not self; the words "why" contain countless content, which the disciples need to gather out, find all of, and then think through and organize, to prove that the suffering physical body is indeed not self. After such proof, the contemplative practice on the selflessness of the five aggregates reaches a small milestone; there are still four aggregates that need to be contemplated and thought about in this way.
In the process of contemplative practice, thinking, and investigation, one must ask oneself "why" many times, and afterwards answer exactly why; all problems must be resolved, not left to others, and even less left to the Buddha to answer. Whoever can answer grows in wisdom and has the wisdom of realization. And being able to ask "why" also represents wisdom; without wisdom there are no questions. Reasonable questions and reasonable "whys" even more represent a person's wisdom, and a correct, reasonable, error-free answer is of course even more a manifestation of a person's great wisdom. Once this wisdom manifests, and the conclusion reached accords with the Buddha's conclusions and teachings, that is enlightenment.
In the secular world there are "One Hundred Thousand Whys"; we who study Buddhism and cultivate practice should, upon encountering any dharma, also ask "why" many times, pursuing a question to the very bottom until the truth is fully revealed—wisdom will surely be born. But muttering the Buddha's words daily with the mouth does not represent one's own wisdom and realization. For example, muttering over and over that all dharmas are suchness and are all within the one true dharma realm, without any element of thinking or contemplative practice in between, without knowing exactly why it is so—what use is muttering for ten thousand years? The Buddha's dharma is not cultivated this way; the Buddha's dharma requires proof, requires extremely many pieces of evidence, and this evidence must be obtained through thinking and contemplative practice within meditative concentration. By asking "why" many times, one can actively seek evidence; one day the evidence will be conclusive and the truth fully revealed, and both the mind consciousness and the manas will have their breakthrough, suddenly becoming clear, suddenly greatly awakened.
11. Eradicating the View of Self and Attaining the Fruits Follows the Same Principle as "Seeing with the Eyes Is Believing, Hearing with the Ears Is Doubtful"
Everywhere the Buddha is revealing to us a truth: all dharmas are empty and still. This means all dharmas are empty and tranquil. Why is this said? Because all dharmas arise from the aggregation of various conditions and causes, inherently lacking self-nature, not truly existing dharmas; therefore they are said to be empty and still. From another perspective, all dharmas are conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha, directed by the tathāgatagarbha, shadows of the tathāgatagarbha; in essence they are the tathāgatagarbha, and there are no all-dharmas; therefore it is said that all dharmas are empty and still. The emptiness of the Small Vehicle and the emptiness (śūnyatā) of the Great Vehicle both point to this truth and reality.
The faculties are like illusions, the realms like dreams. To contemplate these dharmas requires relatively deep meditative concentration; amid various states, in the six faculties engaging the six sense objects, experience the illusoriness, unreality, non-decision-making nature, and lack of self-nature of the faculties and objects; meditative concentration and wisdom must be combined, completely fused together. Contemplate carefully: in the eye seeing forms, how the eye faculty lacks self-mastery (avaśatā), how the form object is illusory, like a shadow; when the ear hears sounds, how the realm of sound is like a dream, how the ear faculty is like an illusion, how it arises and how it ceases, how it produces the function of hearing. When the contemplation is done well, one can realize that the five aggregates are empty and illusory, tranquil and non-arising.
For the contemplation of these dharmas, preliminary understanding does not equal realization. Understanding is relatively easier; after the mind consciousness thinks for a period of time, one feels one has understood, but this is not realization. Realization requires meditative concentration, deep thinking within concentration, conclusive evidence, and penetration to the manas deep within the mind; only when the manas acknowledges is it called attaining the fruit. What the mind consciousness understands is all knowledge; without evidence or with insufficient evidence, it is all imagination, not realization. Only through deep, fine contemplative practice, with the manas truly acknowledging that principle deep within the mind, does it count as attaining the fruit.
At that time, because one has truly realized and acknowledged that the five aggregates are without self and the six faculties are illusory, the mental activities change, and one's view of all things transforms. When one truly believes oneself to be illusory, the mind will certainly change; it cannot remain the same as before. But with mere understanding by the mind consciousness, without realization, the mind does not know that the five aggregates are truly without self; the cognition of self does not change, the view of the five aggregates remains only at the theoretical level, the mental activities remain as before, the afflictions remain as heavy as before, the three fetters cannot be eradicated, and the three evil destinies cannot be avoided.
This is the same as the worldly principle of "seeing with the eyes is believing, hearing with the ears is doubtful." Hearing what others say is equivalent to the mind consciousness's understanding, without verification; one still feels unsure inside, not daring to affirm whether it is true. Afterwards, when one sees with one's own eyes, one truly knows, and will say: Ah! So that's how it is! At this point one knows how to handle people and matters. Seeing with the eyes is equivalent to the manas's realization; hearing with the ears is equivalent to the mind consciousness's understanding—these are two entirely different levels.
The mind consciousness's understanding is heard from others; the manas's realization is seeing with one's own eyes, knowing by direct perception, truly seeing. Understanding is equivalent to hearsay, and differs greatly from actual seeing with one's own eyes. For example, hearing about how a certain person is, one forms a view in the mind, having a certain impression; but when meeting and observing, one finds it is like this—not entirely consistent with the mental impression; the feeling and impression at the meeting are more real and credible, and only then can one adopt an appropriate attitude toward this person. After truly understanding and observing, one's views, opinions, thoughts, actions, and conduct are different from when one merely heard.
Therefore we must diligently permeate, permeating to the depths of the mind, truly and genuinely practicing contemplation that the faculties are like illusions and the five aggregates are without self. During contemplative practice it is the sixth consciousness's thinking and analysis; after analysis it is handed over to the manas; when the manas has determination (adhimokṣa) regarding the mind consciousness's thinking content and acknowledges the truth of the principle that the faculties are like illusions, the fruit is attained. If the manas does not acknowledge the principle that the mind consciousness has contemplated and thought about, it is of no use. To enable the manas to realize as quickly as possible, one must gather much data and information, with conclusive evidence, striving to reach the level of direct perception. In the middle of contemplative practice there are still many procedures, many roads to travel, many dharmas to cultivate; one must continually accumulate various provisions and provisions for the path, continually accumulating the provisions of merit, as well as precepts, patience, meditative concentration, and wisdom, continually perfecting the conditions of these six pāramitās.
12. With attentive care, every flower can be kept alive; with attentive care, every dish can be delicious; with attentive care, every friend is a good friend; with attentive care, every person is family; with attentive care, every task is a good deed; with attentive care, every person is a good person; with attentive care, every recollection of the Buddha is merit; with attentive care, every demon can be subdued; with attentive care, every dharma can reveal the mind; with attentive care, every Chan investigation can reveal one's nature; with attentive care, attentive care—every mind is no-mind.
All the activities above involve consciousnesses; without the operation of consciousnesses, there would be no activities—no keeping flowers, no making friends, no conducting oneself and doing things, no recollection of the Buddha, no investigating Chan. Why, in these activities, must one also "apply the mind"? What does "applying the mind" refer to here?
In all the activities of the five-aggregate body, when the mind consciousness is the initiator and the manas passively accepts, although the activities of the five-aggregate body are carried out, the manas is passively led by the mind consciousness, is not interested, and does not understand the reason for doing so; therefore one's conduct and actions are not sincere, not wholehearted—this is called acting without mind. Such mindless action, whether wholesome or unwholesome, has slight karmic retribution.
If one wants the best result in doing things, with superior retribution, the mind consciousness must let the manas understand the true principle within, permeate the manas, and let the manas actively and proactively decide to act, playing the leading role; only then is it sincere and wholehearted; the tathāgatagarbha cooperates, producing the best results and storing the best seeds, and the future retribution will also be superior.
Some people also investigate Chan, some also recollect the Buddha, some also study the dharma, some also do things, some also deal with people; but the role the manas plays in them differs, and the results differ. If the manas does not truly apply the mind, remaining muddle-headed, unfocused, and grasping everywhere, the effect is greatly diminished and the retribution is not superior.
