Commentary on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Second Edition) (Newly Revised)
Chapter 4: Contemplating the Mind — Mindfulness of the Mind (2)
Original text: 又心有上者。知心有上。
Explanation: If one's mind-capacity is not yet the most supreme at present and should be further elevated, then one should know that one's own mind still needs to be further elevated.
Observe what stage or level your own mind is at, what its mind-capacity is, what its afflictions are like, how its power of meditative concentration and power of wisdom are, and whether the aspiration is vast or narrow. Turn back to observe your own mind, observe the state of your mind in cultivating the Buddha-dharma: is it the greatest or not great enough, the highest or not high enough? For example, someone makes an aspiration: "I will serve such-and-such sentient beings" — is this aspiration one that has something above it? It is very low, so there is still something above it, and it should grow further. For example, someone aspires: "I will be satisfied merely to end birth and death," or aspires: "It is enough for me just to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) so that I will not go to the three evil destinies." Does this aspiration have something above it? There is still something above it; it is not high.
What is the highest aspiration? The Buddha's aspiration is the highest: to accomplish anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. Some people's goal is: "I only need to cultivate the wholesome dharmas of humans and gods, so that at the end of life I can ascend to the heavens and enjoy pleasures." That is a small mind; the mind still has something above it. There is also the aspiration: "It is enough for me just to see the mind and see the nature, to become a bodhisattva of the tenth bhūmi." This aspiration still has something above it; only the aspiration to reach buddhahood is unsurpassable. What is the Buddha's aspiration? To widely deliver immeasurable, boundless multitudes of sentient beings, all attaining ultimate great liberation — this aspiration is unsurpassable. Having become a Buddha, the Buddha is called the unsurpassed, perfectly equal enlightenment. The Buddha's mind is always the unsurpassed mind.
What then about the minds of ordinary sentient beings? All of them have something above. Even if he makes a vast aspiration, at times his mind is still not vast — all have something above. Sometimes the mental intention is not upright, or the intention becomes small, for oneself, for one individual, or for a small group, or for a slightly larger group. Such minds are not vast; all have something above. Observe your own aspiration: does it have something above it, or is it unsurpassable?
At every moment there should be a "knowing," and this knowing is the alert mind, alerting one's own mind. Look back at what state your mind is in now — this is the mind consciousness's self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana); observing one's own mind is called self-validating cognition. Actually, there is another mind that must also make the aspiration: the true aspiration must also arise simultaneously in the manas. Thus contemplating the mind also includes the mind consciousness observing the manas's mind, as well as the manas looking back at itself; but this is very hard to observe clearly, since the manas is very hidden. So contemplating the mind is not entirely the mind consciousness's self-validating cognition; there is also the mind consciousness's self-cognition (svasaṃvitti) and the manas's self-validating cognition. Self-cognition verifies the facts discovered by the conscious mind; among the discovered facts is the manas's mind — that is realizing what kind of mind the manas is, realizing whether the manas is a greedy mind, a hateful mind, or a foolish mind; discovering this is called self-cognition. If it is the mind consciousness discovering itself, or the manas discovering its own mind, this is called looking back at oneself, introspecting one's own mind — it is self-validating cognition. So self-validating cognition certainly validates oneself.
The eighth consciousness's self-validating cognition certainly means the eighth consciousness has discovered and realized its own mental activities and the characteristics of their operation. The manas's self-validating cognition is the manas discovering and verifying its own mental activities and operational characteristics. The first five consciousnesses are the same: the eye consciousness's self-validating cognition is the eye consciousness being able to verify its own activity. When a conscious mind observes another consciousness, that is not called looking back; just as when a person observes others it is not called introspection — discovering oneself is called looking back, discovering others is called observation.
Some people cultivate without cultivating themselves, specializing in cultivating and observing others, unable to turn back and introspect the self. Cultivation first means introspecting the self; only when one has the ability of self-introspection should one then illuminate and observe others; when observing others, then shine the light back on oneself, compare and examine, and discover one's own shortcomings through others — this is the alert, awakened mind. So this "knowing" — a person without wisdom, without meditative concentration, absolutely has no such knowing; every day his mind is scattered, the scattered mind everywhere grasping at conditions, never looking back, never returning the mind to himself, to his own mental intentions — such a person has no awakening.
Following conditions and grasping at them is a scattered mind; then there will be no knowing of one's own mind. Not knowing one's own mind, one cannot cultivate the path, cannot awaken, cannot change one's own mind. So in true cultivation the mind must at every moment carry a knowing — self-knowledge — and then also the knowledge of others. Bodhisattvas must not only know themselves but also know others. Those at the stage of cultivating the self must first know themselves; when capable, then know others; after knowing others, one can change others and lead others — this is the mind of the Mahāyāna bodhisattva.
Original text: 又心无上者。知心无上。
Explanation: When your own mind has become vast and unsurpassed, you should know that your own mind is vast and unsurpassed.
The Buddha wants us to contemplate the unsurpassedness of the mind — what does "mind unsurpassed" refer to? It is compared with one's own past: none of one's former minds was higher than the present mind. When an ordinary person's mind is unsurpassed, it is when the aspiration is extremely vast; when the aspiration is vast, conduct may not yet be vast, but the mind is already very great — though not great at every moment. When contemplating the mind, whatever arises in your mind, what changes occur, to what degree they change — you must know this at every moment, having the ability to shine the light back — this is having the nature of awakening.
Observe whether your own mind is filled with dharma joy or whether its capacity is broad and great. Through studying and cultivating the Buddha-dharma, you have now made the great aspiration, the mind is very diligent, vowing to cultivate diligently and attain realization soon, to broadly benefit immeasurable, boundless multitudes of sentient beings — this is making the vast aspiration to become a Buddha; the mind at this time is called the unsurpassed mind. But an ordinary person cannot always maintain this unsurpassedness. Then you must examine your own mental intentions, being able at every moment to shine the light back; when you find the mind is unsurpassed, maintain it; when you find the mind has something above it, quickly elevate yourself, awaken yourself, urge yourself to make the great aspiration, the unsurpassed aspiration.
Original text: 又心有定者。知心有定。
Explanation: A settled mind and a concentrated mind are somewhat similar; both represent being settled in one place, gathered in one place, but there are still some differences between them. So-called concentration is the mind, from scattering everywhere in grasping at objects, gradually gathering together; a settled mind is not merely gathered — there is also a depth: the mind sinks in and does not move, settled in one place. Is the mind settled in two places still samādhi? Some people have extremely strong attention and abundant energy; settled in three places their focus is also quite strong, able to take care of each place well — only people of great wisdom and great meditative concentration can do this.
A person without wisdom and without meditative concentration cannot even settle the mind in one place, cannot even complete one task well; a person of great wisdom, commanding thousands of troops, remains calm and composed, handling everything with ease. Is the mind settled in two or three places still samādhi? Some people are settled in four places and it is still samādhi — it depends on the strength of their mental intention, whether their energy is abundant in each place, whether they can attend to all of them, whether they discern clearly, whether their power of thought is swift. What is samādhi? Focusing on one dharma is samādhi; focusing on two dharmas is also called samādhi. A person of strong ability can watch ten people simultaneously; a person of weak ability cannot even watch one. What is samādhi? The ability and energy to solve problems — this is called samādhi. A very scattered person has weak mental power; at that time he can only train the mind to concentrate, unable to settle it; only a person with quite good powers of concentration can train to settle the mind in several places without scattering.
Why did the Buddha mention two phenomena here: one is the mind's concentration, the other the mind's settling — what is the difference between the two? Concentration has no depth, no power; it is merely no longer scattered. Settling has a certain depth, and is not necessarily gathered in one place. A person of high ability can command an army, be a corps commander or a general; a person of low ability can only be a squad leader — this is the difference of minds, the difference of abilities.
Samādhi also has another concept: broadly speaking, it is the decisive mind — the mind gives rise to a decisiveness toward a certain dharma, accepting and affirming it. For example, in cultivating the Buddha-dharma, when cultivating to the stage of the ten faiths, one gives rise to a decisive mind toward the Buddha-dharma, deciding to be a bodhisattva benefiting self and others — this is the decisive mind; afterwards one gives rise to a decisive mind toward the bodhisattva's six pāramitās, vowing to cultivate the bodhisattva's six pāramitās, vowing to see the mind and see the nature — this is also called the decisive mind; or one gives rise to another decisive mind to contemplate the non-self of the five aggregates and eighteen realms, to eradicate the view of self — this too is a decisive mind. There are two kinds of decisive mind: one is the mind consciousness's decision, one is the manas's decision. Initially the decision arises in the mind consciousness; ultimately the decision arises in the manas, and then it can be implemented. After the mind consciousness decides, it reports to the manas for approval; when the manas also decides, then the mind consciousness's decision takes effect — in the end it is still the manas that decides.
The decision on any dharma, at the time of implementation, is decided by the manas; only after the manas decides can the six consciousnesses take action. The six consciousnesses' decisions cannot be carried into action, because the six consciousnesses are not the master of the five-aggregate body, cannot be the master, and the bodily, verbal, and mental actions lack self-mastery (avaśatā). Bodily, verbal, and mental actions are initiated by the manas; the manas is the leader, and the mind consciousness is a staff advisor. The leader may or may not adopt the advisor's opinion; having adopted it, it seems as if the mind consciousness is in charge, but in fact it is still the manas in charge. Whether in the Buddha-dharma or in worldly dharmas, if the manas decides in its capacity as master, all energy and attention turn around completely, and the six consciousnesses must devotedly implement the decision. The result and the process manifest not only the wisdom of the six consciousnesses but also contain the wisdom of the manas, and the tathāgatagarbha stores the seeds of wisdom.
Samādhi can be present in both the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, but the substance of samādhi is still the manas's samādhi; the manas's samādhi determines the six consciousnesses' samādhi; if the manas has no samādhi, the six consciousnesses have no samādhi. Both the sixth and seventh consciousnesses can make aspirations — one at the surface level, one at the deep level — but ultimately the manas's aspiration is the root and the final choice; only the manas's aspiration has the power of action. Vastness and smallness of mind are also divided into the vastness and smallness of the mind consciousness and of the manas.
Original text: 又心解脱者。知心解脱。
Explanation: When your own mind is liberated, you should know that your own mind is liberated.
When contemplating the mind, when you have become liberated from a certain dharma, you should know that your mind is liberated from that dharma. What is liberation? Being bound and tied fast by a rope and lock twisted into a knot, unable to be at ease or free — that is non-liberation; conversely, untying the knot, free and unfettered — that is liberation. The knot in the rope is a metaphor for the knot in the mind. Why is there a knot in the mind? When the mind is tied to a certain dharma, unable to leave or detach, that is a knot-binding, also called bondage. Moving the mind away from that dharma, detaching from it, no longer dwelling on it or missing it, the knot is opened — this is called liberation. Sentient beings' mind-knots are extremely many: upon contacting a dharma they stick to it, are bound by it, and there is one more knot in the mind. Sentient beings are so accustomed to clinging to sense objects that they cannot be without mind toward sense realms; even when bound in great suffering, they do not know to awaken, do not know to find a way to liberation.
Mind-knots are immeasurable and boundless, big and small. On which dharmas are sentient beings' minds knotted and bound? There are knots and bindings on the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, on the twelve bases of the six faculties and six sense objects, on the eighteen realms of the six faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses, on self, on persons, on sentient beings, on life span, on all dharmas of the three-realm world. If an ordinary person does not open even one knot, the mind is not liberated: seeing form, he is bound by form, the mind not liberated from form; hearing sound, bound by sound, the mind not liberated from sound; smelling scent, bound by scent, the mind not liberated from scent; tasting flavor, bound by flavor, the mind not liberated from flavor; feeling touch, bound by touch, the mind not liberated from touch; knowing dharmas, bound by dharmas, the mind not liberated from dharmas.
Then what is the state of liberation? When seeing form, not attaching to form, not stirring a mental intention, neither craving nor averse, neither suffering nor happy — this is the appearance of a liberated mind. Forms coming and going, without sorrow or joy, without any obstruction, the mind is liberated. Sounds, scents, flavors, touches, and dharmas coming and going, without sorrow or joy, without obstruction, the mind is liberated; people, affairs, things, and principles coming and going, without sorrow or joy, without obstruction, the mind is liberated. Have we ever tasted the flavor of liberation? Generally speaking, none of us has tasted it; only occasionally, when the mind has thought a matter through, can there be a moment of liberation. For example, formerly one was very attached to a matter, but through thinking and analysis, one felt attachment to it was useless, and so let go of it and no longer clung — this is called the mind being liberated with respect to that matter. Sometimes one may see through food, clothing, housing, and utensils a little, and the mind is liberated a little.
Another example: no longer clinging to the functions of the aggregate of feeling — whether enjoying or not enjoying, feeling comfortable or uncomfortable, it makes no difference; neither liking nor rejecting, no longer bound by feelings, not clinging to feeling — one is liberated on the aggregate of feeling. The hardest to be liberated from is the aggregate of consciousness: one must know some dharma for the mind to feel interested and not bored; not knowing feels very uncomfortable. Through cultivation, one's clinging to the functions of the aggregate of consciousness decreases; for some people, affairs, things, and principles one no longer tries every means to know them; when one does not know something, the mind does not feel bored — there is some liberation. If in seeing forms and hearing sounds the mind no longer attaches, neither delighted nor disgusted, indifferent to their coming and going, the mind is liberated. If the mind no longer attaches to the five aggregates and eighteen realms, neither delighted nor craving, the mind is liberated — but this is not yet ultimate liberation; ultimate liberation is the liberation of the buddha-bhūmi.
Original text: 又心未解脱者。知心未解脱。
Explanation: If the mind is not yet liberated, one must know that one's own mind is not yet liberated.
In contemplating the mind, if you find that toward a certain dharma your mind is still very sticky, not liberated, you must know it clearly and distinctly. This requires constantly shining the light back on yourself: upon encountering some matter, look back at what state your mind is in — are you greedily attached to it and unable to let go, mentally tangled and distressed, or delighted and happy? If so, it shows the mind is bound by that matter, not liberated; the mind must know this.
For example, if someone owes me a sum of money and I dwell on it at every moment, my mind is bound by this matter — not liberated. If toward people and matters the mind constantly dwells and thinks, it shows the mind is bound — not liberated. An unliberated mind is distressed and not at ease; even joy is affliction and lack of ease; extreme happiness is even more affliction. A mind calm and peaceful without waves — that is liberated ease, the most comfortable. Suffering feeling is itself suffering; pleasant feeling is the suffering of decay; neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling is the suffering of conditioning. All feeling is suffering; not attaching to any dharma is liberation.
When contemplating the mind, upon encountering anything, anywhere and anytime, observe your own mind, examine whether the mind is liberated with respect to dharmas; the mind must know at all times. If toward a dharma there arise very intense resentment and intense fondness, the mind sticking to the object — that is not liberated. As long as there is a mental intention, there is bondage, non-liberation. The goal of cultivation is to liberate the mind, and to attain the most ultimate liberation, the great liberation of the buddha-bhūmi — then one must not attach to any dharma whatsoever.
True liberation is of two kinds: one is eradicating the clinging to self regarding persons — not clinging or attaching to the five aggregates and eighteen realms, attaining liberation — these are persons of the third or fourth fruit; the other is eradicating the clinging to self regarding dharmas — not clinging or attaching to all dharmas, attaining liberation — these are bodhisattvas of the first, second, third, fourth... up to the tenth bhūmi and equal enlightenment. When clinging to dharmas is eradicated completely, not attaching to any dharma, being liberated and at ease with respect to all dharmas — that is the Buddha alone. For bodhisattvas, with respect to all dharmas, part is liberated and part is not liberated; the more the mind clings and is obstinate, the less liberated. Ordinary sentient beings all have clinging to the five aggregates, the eighteen realms, and the worldly dharmas of the three realms; some dharmas they cannot yet cling to, and those afflictions have not yet manifested, so they cannot eradicate clinging to dharmas — eradication of dharma-clinging certainly begins with bhūmi-attained bodhisattvas.
The above covered the content of contemplating the mind: whether one's own mind has the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion; in daily life, toward certain people, affairs, things, principles — all dharmas — whether the intention is greedy or free of greed, hateful or not hateful, deluded or not deluded; whether the mind is concentrated or scattered; whether the mental activity is vast or narrow; whether the aspiration has something above it or is unsurpassed; whether the mind is settled or unsettled; whether it is liberated or not liberated — these are the scope of contemplating the mind.
If each day you can truly observe your own mental intentions, the mind becomes very refined, and meditative concentration will strengthen. As long as you can discern the mind's state, things are easy — it is like recognizing a thief and keeping watch on the thief: first recognize the thief, then watch the thief, and finally the thief can do nothing and leaves by himself, and the family property is preserved from theft. Each day contemplate the mind like this; the mind must always have a knowing, and this knowing is the awakened mind. How many people are awakened? Not many. Most people follow the six sense objects: when A comes they follow A, when B comes they follow B, when C comes they run after C — east, west, south, north, the four intermediate directions, up and down — wherever there is a condition, there they go. Sentient beings' minds are just like this: scattered, grasping, unliberated, clung to and bound by all sense realms. Cultivation is first recognizing the mind, then watching the mind, and finally knowing what is good and bad about it; the mind slowly transforms; seeing all dharmas as empty and seeing through them, one attains liberation.
Original text: 如是。或于内心观心而住。又于外心观心而住。又于内外心观心而住。
Explanation: Contemplating in this way, the mind either dwells on the contemplation of the inner mind, then dwells on the contemplation of the outer mind, and finally the mind must dwell on the simultaneous contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) of both inner and outer mind.
When contemplating the mind, one should contemplate the inner mind that turns inward toward the material body, contemplate the inner mind that takes past and future as object, contemplate the inner mind that thinks, reasons, judges, studies, and reflects; the mind dwells on contemplating the inner mind. One should also contemplate the outer mind that takes the six sense objects as object; the mind dwells on contemplating the outer mind; then further contemplate inner and outer mind simultaneously, the mind dwelling on contemplating inner and outer mind. In contemplative practice, the states of both inner and outer mind must be contemplated: the mind that is stirring with intention without contacting the outer six sense objects — whether it is greedy, hateful, or deluded — must all be observed clearly; whether this mind has something above it or is unsurpassed, whether liberated or not liberated — all must be discerned. Achieving this is not easy; self-knowledge is not easy to have, so contemplating one's own mind is not easy. Each person's inner knots and bindings are so many; if one cannot contemplate one's own mind, one cannot discover problems, nor change one's own mind. If one cannot discover what state one's mind is in, not even knowing whether it is wholesome or unwholesome, how can one change it?
In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra the Buddha said the seventh consciousness's mind is neither inside the material body, nor outside it, nor in between; yet when the Buddha taught contemplating the mind, why did he speak of an inner mind and an outer mind? When the mental intention is within the material body, it is conventionally called the inner mind; when the mind turns outward grasping at the six sense objects, it seems to go out but actually does not — this is only a provisional statement; it seems to grasp at the external, and is called the outer mind. "Outer mind" is the name for the six consciousnesses when they turn outward grasping.
When contemplating the mind, if you find the mind recollecting and reminiscing, this is the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta) operating; then the mind gathers inward, turning back to observe what psychological state this mind is in — whether it has greed, hatred, and delusion or not, whether liberated or not. Then observe when the mind faces the six sense objects whether it has greed, hatred, and delusion or not, whether settled or unsettled, liberated or not, with something above it or unsurpassed.
Having discerned your own psychological state, you know whether your mind is pure; knowing whether your mental intentions are wholesome or unwholesome, whether your thoughts are right or wrong, you know how to handle them. How to handle them? When the manas knows what the mind consciousness has observed, it will deliberate behind the scenes; where to go and what to do lies with the manas. The mind consciousness can play a certain role of thinking; the rest is the manas's business. After the manas deliberates, it makes a choice, and the result of the choice gradually improves, gradually correcting former afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. The precondition for the manas to change is that the mind consciousness must think well, knowing what is correct and what is incorrect, transmitting the process and result of its thinking to the manas; after the manas deliberates it knows, and thereafter will make correct choices and decisions — thus the manas is subdued and changed.
The mind consciousness and the manas, the two minds, have a division of labor in their work, each with its emphasis, operating in harmony to complete the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the five-aggregate body. In cultivation, first the mind consciousness must have right mindfulness and right view; the mind consciousness must understand the principles and have wisdom; next, the manas, relying on the mind consciousness, must itself deliberate in order to understand the principles and give rise to wisdom; when the decisive, choosing mind arises, one's own mind is changed — this is how the mind changes. Whether changing oneself, changing the environment, or changing all dharmas, it is all changed this way: the manas decides as master, and the tathāgatagarbha, according with it, brings about the change.
As long as the manas deliberates clearly and has a decisive mind, things are easy; as long as the manas is fairly firm and powerful, things are easy: "I insist on doing this" — the tathāgatagarbha has no choice but to let you do it. The truly powerful one is of course the tathāgatagarbha, omnipotent; nothing can block the tathāgatagarbha from implementing the manas's decision. Of course, afterwards there still need to be conditions such as causes and karmic seeds. There are karmic seeds from past lives and presently existing karmic seeds; if presently existing karmic seeds are to take effect, the power of the seeds must be extremely great for the karma to ripen and manifest immediately, and what the manas wants to do can be accomplished. If the manas has no power, the stored karmic seeds are negligible and powerless, and conditions do not ripen easily. The more powerful the manas, the fuller the stored seeds, the faster the ripening, and the retribution can be realized quickly.
If you want the manas to have power, you also need wisdom; to have wisdom you need meditative concentration. The greater the wisdom, the better one can store good karmic seeds; cultivation accomplished in one lifetime, a task accomplished quickly. If you want the mind to have power, concentration must be strong and wisdom strong; then decisiveness is extremely strong and the will firm. If decisiveness is weak, the karmic seeds do not ripen. For example, when practicing recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), if the mind firmly resolves to be reborn single-mindedly in the land of bliss (sukhāvatī), very resolute, then the lotus flower over there in the land of bliss is transformed and produced, and the scenes of the land of bliss will appear. How do they appear? The manas very much longs for the land of bliss, and the tathāgatagarbha displays the land of bliss; if the manas does not long for it, it does not appear.
In cultivation, first the mind consciousness acts as the advance guide, and a correct guide, opening a correct road, so the manas can follow behind; the tathāgatagarbha, following the manas, gives birth to all dharmas, and all dharmas can be accomplished. If the mind consciousness leads the wrong way, the manas also follows the wrong way, and the tathāgatagarbha, unable to tell east from west, gives birth to defiled dharmas following the manas, with the result of the suffering of the ocean of saṃsāra and karma. Among the three consciousnesses of transformative agency (parināma), the mind consciousness performs this function, the manas that function, and the eighth consciousness another — each has its own function. How to walk the path to buddhahood, how to become a Buddha — the mind should understand this. The mind consciousness studies broadly and hears much, chooses the correct road, and guides the manas; when the manas gives rise to the decisive mind, one walks the great bright road; the mind changes, and cultivation is accomplished.
Worldly dharmas are accomplished the same way: the mind consciousness leads the way, the manas follows, and the tathāgatagarbha is the reserve army, providing provisions in abundance — whatever is needed is provided — and in the end it is accomplished. For example, to build a house: the manas and the six consciousnesses build the house, and the tathāgatagarbha provides the materials from behind; the eight consciousnesses cooperate, and the house is built. The precondition for the tathāgatagarbha to cooperate with the manas is that the sixth and seventh consciousnesses must first cooperate: the six consciousnesses act as guide, and after deliberation the manas decides: "How shall I build the house, and in what style?" — and the tathāgatagarbha, according with it, builds it together. Of the three consciousnesses of transformative agency, not one can be lacking. Which is most important? All are quite important; of course, the further back, the more important.
If the sixth and seventh consciousnesses open the road ahead and make the decision, but the tathāgatagarbha behind does not give the raw materials, does not provide the seeds, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses can do nothing. Where do the raw materials come from? They are what the sixth and seventh consciousnesses together stored. The tathāgatagarbha does not create something from nothing: if you have not stored seeds, it cannot produce seeds, and the raw materials cannot be supplied. The sixth and seventh consciousnesses first store the provisions, with the five consciousnesses also participating; after the provisions are stored, when one wants to do something and the conditions are complete, the tathāgatagarbha brings them out. So when we make great aspirations and vows wanting to accomplish some dharma, we must first store the seeds; otherwise no dharma can be accomplished. If one wants to become a Buddha without cultivating merit, there is no way — the tathāgatagarbha cannot produce seeds out of thin air; even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. So the creation of all dharmas is still one's own creation. The seeds are placed in the tathāgatagarbha's storehouse, not in other impermanent, unreliable places, so that when needed they can be taken out anytime and anywhere; if they cannot be taken out, even wishing is useless. Cultivation is still the sixth and seventh consciousnesses cultivating themselves; when the sixth and seventh consciousnesses finish cultivating and are changed, all dharmas change, fulfilling the wishes of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses — this is the process of cultivation.
Original text: 或于心观生法而住。或于心观灭法而住。又于心观生灭法而住。
Explanation: When contemplating the mind, one should observe the arising dharmas upon the mind, the mind dwelling on observing the arising dharmas; or observe the ceasing dharmas upon the mind, then the mind dwelling on observing the mind's ceasing dharmas; finally, observe simultaneously the mind's arising and ceasing dharmas, the mind dwelling on observing arising-and-ceasing dharmas.
What are arising dharmas? Right now I am pondering a question, and suddenly a thought appears — wanting to consider some problem; the dharma of considering the problem has arisen. A newly arisen dharma, such as a mental intention just arising, or the eye just seeing form and the mind arising to operate — this is called an arising dharma; a wholesome mental activity appearing in the mind, or a greedy thought emerging — this is an arising dharma; the hateful mind now arising — this is an arising dharma; the mind now settled — the dharma of mental settling has appeared; now having thought through some matter, person, or thing — the dharma of liberation has appeared — these are arising dharmas. What did not exist before and now appears is an arising dharma.
Ceasing dharmas are dharmas that already existed disappearing: for example, a former greedy thought now gone — that is a ceasing dharma; formerly the mind was scattered, now the mind is settled, the scattered mind has ceased — that is a ceasing dharma; just now angry, now no longer angry, the hateful mind ceased — that is a ceasing dharma. Observing the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of one's own mental intentions, grasping all the mind's states, knowing yourself, knowing what your mental activities are — when meditative concentration, wisdom, and morality are complete and non-self is realized, the mental intentions transform and great wisdom arises; gradually one can eradicate the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion — this is the natural process of cultivation. For example, there is a monkey in front of you; you watch it, and gradually it feels uneasy and stops moving, running, and jumping wildly — you only need to recognize it and keep watch on it. It is like a thief: first recognize his face, know him, watch him, and he cannot make any moves; being watched, he is too embarrassed to steal. Your own mind is like a thief: recognize it, watch it, and the subsequent work is easy.
When one dharma in the mind arises and another ceases, both must be observed simultaneously; at this time concentration strengthens and wisdom strengthens. At first one observes arising, later ceasing, and later still observes arising and ceasing simultaneously. At first one observes the inner mind, later the outer mind, and later can observe inner and outer mind simultaneously. Only when concentration and wisdom strengthen can this be done. Observing all simultaneously — does the mind dwell on one dharma or two? Even dwelling on three or four dharmas is samādhi.
So what is the concept of samādhi? It does not only mean focusing on one object or extinguishing the mind being called samādhi; as long as one has the ability to clarify all dharmas, there is samādhi — and of course wisdom as well. Without concentration and wisdom, even observing one dharma is not observing within samādhi, and that one dharma cannot be resolved, and wisdom cannot arise. Observing all these dharmas — arising dharmas, ceasing dharmas, arising, abiding, changing, ceasing — such power of concentration is quite good; with shallow concentration it cannot be done. Within this, wisdom also appears, resolving all the dharmas. Being able to watch the arising and ceasing of all dharmas, concentration and wisdom complete — is there morality within this? The absence of those improper mental activities is morality; thus morality, concentration, and wisdom can be complete. As long as one observes oneself every day, with morality, concentration, and wisdom complete, one can attain from the first fruit to the fourth fruit; the only fear is not awakening, the mind scattering after sense objects without awareness. After contemplating in this way, what is the final result? Thought after thought there is a mind contemplating the mind.
Original text: 尚又智识所成。及忆念所成。皆会有心之思念现前。彼当无所依而住。且不执著世间任何物而住。诸比丘。比丘如是于心观心而住。
Explanation: The results formed by the cognition of wisdom, and those formed by mental recollection, will all have thoughts about the mind appearing in the mind's intentions. You should dwell without relying on any dharma, and also not dwell clinging to anything in the world. O bhikṣus, a bhikṣu should, like this, dwell contemplating the mind upon the mind.
Because of continuously focused observation of one's own mind, meditative concentration and wisdom both improve; at this time thought after thought is of one's own mind — this is the result of the contemplative practice of wisdom, the result of recollection. The mind constantly thinks of one's own mind, observes it, thinks about and analyzes it, subdues it; but with these thoughts in the mind, the mind is still not pure, cannot attain liberation, cannot be liberated from mental thoughts; one should extinguish the mental thoughts, see the mental thoughts as empty, so that the mind no longer has any dharma and does not dwell relying on any dharma. And one does not dwell clinging to anything in the world; the mind is empty and vast, pure and clean.
What is "formed by the cognition of wisdom"? The mind that observes one's own mind, through continuous contemplative practice, gradually raises its wisdom: first, not flowing along with sense objects; second, observing one's own mental thoughts clearly and distinctly; third, one's own mind being somewhat subdued. Without wisdom, the mind flows along with sense objects without awareness; only with wisdom can there be awareness — this is called the cognition of wisdom; the mind that constantly observes the mental thoughts is called the cognition of wisdom. What is recollection? After contemplating the mind, the mind constantly recollects and deliberates on the state of one's own mind — this is recollection; the whole process of contemplating the mind revolves and repeats in the mind, knowing the state one's mind is in — accomplished by mental thoughts — this is also called recollection. The final result of contemplating the mind: there is always an "I" in the mind, always recollecting, recalling, and observing whether one's own mind has greed, hatred, and delusion or not, always deliberating on the state one's mind is in, constantly thinking of one's own mind, with concentration and wisdom both complete.
When the contemplative practice forms a firm mental thought, one dwells on contemplating the mind; the mind having a dwelling is bondage; finally one must also let go of this mental thought, dwelling nowhere, and only then can the mind attain liberation. Casting aside also the mind being observed, dwelling nowhere, the mind is empty. It is like washing clothes: after the clothes are washed clean, the soap suds and water must all be removed before the clothes can be worn and used; the contemplation is like the soap, detergent, and water, and the clothes are like the object of contemplation. After contemplating the mind, thought after thought is of mind, the mind constantly thinking of itself; finally the thought of thinking must also be emptied, the mind dwelling nowhere, not dwelling on the thinking, and the mind is empty. The mind that contemplates and the mind that is contemplated are both impermanent, empty, illusory, and without anything to cling to; when both the contemplating and the contemplated are extinguished, the mind is empty and becomes tranquil; both the contemplating and the contemplated are impermanent, neither being self. Here what is contemplated is no longer the six sense objects but the mind; the contemplators are the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, and the contemplated sixth and seventh consciousnesses are all empty — all must dwell nowhere and not cling.
When the four foundations of mindfulness are cultivated to completion, the view of self is eradicated; emptying the mind, one can eradicate the view of self and realize the third or fourth fruit, knowing that both the contemplating mind and the contemplated mind are not real, that they arise, dwell, change, and cease — all arising and ceasing, changing, arising and perishing impermanently, none being self. After emptying, the mind has nothing to rely on; if there is something relied upon, one takes it as real and cannot eradicate the view of self. Having dwelt without reliance, and not clinging to anything in the world — not relying on mind, not relying on things, the mind emptied, things also emptied, not attaching in the mind to any single thing in the world — one realizes the fruit of emptiness. As long as there is a dharma existing in the mind, empty it, not taking it as real; only then can one eradicate the view of self and clinging to self.
From the perspective of the Mahāyāna dharma, if all dharmas are emptied and only one tathāgatagarbha remains, not empty, still existing — this is realizing the realm of the tathāgatagarbha of the Mahāyāna dharma. As taught in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra's perfect penetration through the ear faculty: both the contemplating and the contemplated are emptied, emptiness itself is emptied, all emptinesses are emptied; cultivating the perfect penetration through the ear faculty to the end, only one tathāgatagarbha remains. The Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment says the same: as long as there is a mental thought in the mind it should be emptied; even the mental thought of emptiness must be emptied; both the emptying and the emptied are entirely emptied; apart from the tathāgatagarbha nothing exists; and then not clinging even to the tathāgatagarbha — the cultivation reaches home, and immeasurable millions of Nirmāṇakāya Buddha transformation bodies emerge; cultivated to the end, it is the samādhi state of profound meditative concentration and wisdom.
Cultivation must proceed like this, emptying all the way: empty all dharmas that have arising and ceasing change; then whatever dharma one considers empty, empty even that view of considering; empty the dharmas, then empty even that emptiness; empty everything that exists in the mind, empty the mind, empty also the things in the mind, empty both the emptying and the emptied — only the one tathāgatagarbha that truly cannot be emptied remains — that is ultimate arrival home. This is no longer ordinary seeing the mind and seeing the nature, but the seeing of mind and nature that has ultimately arrived home — exactly what Bodhisattva Guanyin cultivated in the chapter on perfect penetration through the ear faculty. When the four foundations of mindfulness are cultivated to the end, the five aggregates and eighteen realms are also emptied, but one does not necessarily realize the non-emptiness of the tathāgatagarbha.
