Intensive deliberation (manana) is equivalent to investigating Chan and śamatha-vipaśyanā (calming and insight).

There is a saying in worldly affairs: refined contemplation can lead one into the spirit. Refined contemplation means deep and subtle deliberation (manana), through which one can then attain meditative concentration (samādhi) and stillness—this is entering stillness by way of contemplation. From stillness one can also engage in deeper contemplation, with samādhi and contemplation held in equal balance, each assisting the other. When we read the sūtras, we can deeply and slowly ponder a single sentence or a single principle, gathering all our attention onto that sentence, thereby drawing out our power of concentration. With the aid of this concentration, contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and deliberation can become extremely deep and subtle. One can then enter preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), and also enter the first dhyāna with initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra), as well as the concentration between the first and second dhyānas that has initial application without sustained examination; then, by extinguishing the initial application within that state of initial application without sustained examination, one can enter the second dhyāna.

In contemplative practice, when one deliberates deeply and subtly on a dharma principle, entering concentration becomes quick, the power of concentration rises quickly, and understanding the principle also comes quickly. In deliberation within concentration, both body and mind are joyful and full of energy. If you want to raise your power of concentration, you can find a time when no one disturbs you and engage in contemplative practice and deliberation for an hour or two; you will find that samādhi and wisdom arise together, and body and mind are at peace. If one truly has no way to cultivate concentration and cannot carry out deep and subtle deliberation and contemplative practice, it is because one's merit is still insufficient; when merit is severely lacking, one will simply mark time without advancing. To increase merit, one must make great vows frequently, consider others more, harbor less selfishness and pride, and reduce one's innate afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa)—doing so will increase merit.

As for the dharma principles pondered deeply, the general direction should be the same for everyone; as for the specific dharma principles, what each person faces is not entirely the same—everyone has doubts they currently cannot resolve. Suspend this doubt deep in the mind, deliberate and contemplate, with every thought resting on this doubt, the mind without distraction—this is samādhi. With this samādhi, and then further deep and subtle deliberation, the doubt can gradually be resolved.

As long as we cultivate merit to fullness, cultivating concentration is not difficult, and cultivating all dharmas is not difficult either. And if our pure great vows can be brought forth, the accumulation of merit will be swift; if our innate afflictive obstructions and afflictions can be subdued, the accumulation of merit will also be swift. In this way, the power of the Buddhas' and Bodhisattvas' blessing will be great, and our progress on the path will be rapid. Each of us should not have every single thought revolve around "I," constantly saying "I," always thrusting ourselves forward and putting ourselves on display in everything. If so, the power of the Buddhas' and Bodhisattvas' blessing will be very small. Because such a person is of little use to Buddhism or to sentient beings—after being blessed, they would still act for themselves, thinking only of personal gain. For such a person, the power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas simply cannot take effect.

Those who have not yet cultivated their power of concentration should examine themselves more: whether their merit is already complete, whether their afflictions and innate afflictive obstructions have already lessened, whether there are still many things their minds crave and attach to, many people, matters, and things they are entangled with, many matters they dwell on—whether in ordinary times there are many things they cannot let go of, with their minds filled with thoughts of worldly dharmas and their hearts not at peace. They should also examine whether their power of vow is insufficient, merely drifting through life following conditions, without direction or goal. After discovering these, they must find ways to remedy these shortcomings and strive to eliminate their innate afflictive obstructions and afflictions. If, after discovering them, they still cannot overcome them, they should recite the Śūraṅgama Mantra more, relying on the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma-protecting deities to bless them.

Our current goal of cultivation is to subdue our own innate afflictive obstructions and afflictions: examine ourselves more, find our own shortcomings, cultivate ourselves, live harmoniously together with others, and be careful that our words do not hurt people. If others are at fault, try to help them with skillful means; if others are not at fault and yet we criticize and blame them, we will lose our own merit. It may benefit the other person, but we ourselves will have to bear a portion of the karma. Our merit drains away at every inadvertent moment, while we remain completely unaware. Always wanting to gain the upper hand in everything, to have the last word, with heavy selfishness and pride—this damages one's own merit. Humility and peace are true blessings. Strive to subdue yourself; although subduing oneself is extremely difficult, it must still be done. Those with great merit have light afflictions and light pride. One who can recognize that one has no few evil thoughts is a person with self-knowledge. Among the fifty-one mental factors of the mind consciousness, the unwholesome dharmas far outnumber the wholesome ones; therefore, no one should think themselves very good, nor, brimming with self-confidence, believe that everything about themselves is good and correct—otherwise there will be no way to make further progress.