The Principle of Chan Meditation through Transcending Consciousness

Question: The severance of self-view is a process of repeated, profound, and proper mental attention through contemplation by the consciousness, where the consciousness presents evidence to the mental faculty (manas) on the illusory nature of the five aggregates, ultimately leading to the mental faculty's acknowledgment. This is a cyclical process of presenting evidence, persuading, presenting more evidence, and persuading again. The consciousness gradually presents all the evidence from contemplation to the mental faculty, culminating in the mental faculty's acknowledgment and acceptance. Is this acknowledgment also a form of resonance? Is the severance of self-view also a form of resonance with the mental faculty? What is the distinction between the meaning of "acknowledgment" and "resonance"?

Answer: Through the consciousness's repeated, deep, and subtle contemplative thinking, all evidence and grounds are gradually presented to the mental faculty. After the mental faculty deliberates and finds the evidence conclusive, it confirms and acknowledges. This acknowledgment signifies that the mental faculty has awakened and resonates with the principle of the selflessness of the five aggregates. The more sufficient the evidence and the more directly perceived realms presented, the more the mental faculty acknowledges and resonates. This is because the mental faculty recognizes directly perceived realms and does not resonate with non-validated imaginings; the mental faculty demands evidence.

When the mental faculty resonates with the principle of selflessness, it will think: "Ah! So it is like this." Because the mental faculty does not know that all phenomena of its own five aggregates are illusory, now that the evidence is laid out before it, it has no choice but to acknowledge this principle. Previously, the consciousness knew some aspects of the principle of selflessness to varying degrees, but the mental faculty did not know due to insufficient wisdom and inadequate ability to discern states, preventing deep and subtle contemplation.

The content analyzed, contemplated, and understood by the consciousness belongs to intellectual comprehension. This occurs when meditative concentration is not strong enough to penetrate the mental faculty, leaving the mental faculty unclear about the principle. If meditative concentration is strong, the consciousness's contemplation can penetrate deeply, reducing superficial understanding. When the consciousness moves slowly, it can mobilize the power of the mental faculty, activating its deliberative nature. Then, when the mental faculty itself understands, the consciousness certainly understands. When meditative concentration is shallow and the consciousness relies heavily on analysis, the consciousness may easily comprehend, but the evidence presented to the mental faculty is insufficient, and the mental faculty's own deliberative capacity is inadequate, leaving the mental faculty unclear about the principle. When the consciousness reduces analysis and effort, entrusting more to the mental faculty to exert effort and deliberate, it can realize the selflessness of the five aggregates.

The power of the mental faculty's confirmation is immense—it can transform the mind, alter physical, verbal, and mental actions, change karmic conduct, and transform karmic seeds. Cultivating in this way is taking a great shortcut. To make the mental faculty exert more effort and directly perceive, one must enter deep meditative concentration, with the consciousness moving less. This is the principle of investigation. Chan masters have always taught practitioners to investigate Chan apart from mind and consciousness, without analysis or emotional and intellectual understanding. However, they may not necessarily understand the profound principles behind this, unaware that it is the function of the mental faculty and resonance with it. Because the operation of the mental faculty belongs to the scope of the wisdom of consciousness-only seeds, many Chan masters have not given rise to this wisdom. Therefore, the principle of severing self-view is the same as that of Chan investigation—both utilize the mental faculty, allowing it to silently exert effort to deliberate on the selfless nature of the five aggregates, while the consciousness contemplates deeply and subtly in meditative concentration, moving slowly and profoundly. This enables penetration into the mental faculty, leading to resonance with the nature of selflessness.

By fully uncovering all the functions, attributes, and roles of the mental faculty, cultivation becomes a great shortcut—indeed, the greatest shortcut. We can then cultivate in leaps and bounds, attaining Buddhahood very rapidly.