The Principle of Investigating Chan Apart from Mind, Thought, and Consciousness

Question: Eliminating the view of self is a contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) in which the mind consciousness repeatedly, deeply, and in accordance with reason engages in mental application (manasikāra), presenting evidence to the manas that the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) are illusory, until finally the manas gives its assent. This is a cyclical process of presenting evidence, persuading, presenting more evidence, and persuading again. The mind consciousness gradually submits all the evidence from contemplative practice to the manas, and finally the manas gives its assent and acceptance. Is this acceptance also a form of correspondence? Is eliminating the view of self also a matter of corresponding with the manas? What is the difference between the meaning of assent and correspondence?

Answer: Through the mind consciousness's repeated and deep deliberation (manana) and contemplative practice, all the evidence is gradually presented in full to the manas. When the manas, after deliberation, considers the evidence conclusive, it can confirm and accept it. This acceptance indicates that the manas has awakened and has corresponded with the principle that the five aggregates are without self. The more sufficient the evidence and the more direct-perception (valid direct cognition) states presented, the more the manas accepts and corresponds. Because the manas acknowledges direct-perception states and does not correspond with erroneous cognition/non-valid cognition or imagination, the manas only wants evidence.

When the manas corresponds with the principle of non-self, it will think: Oh! So that is how it is. Because the manas does not know that all dharmas of its own five aggregates are illusory, now that the evidence is laid out before it, it cannot but acknowledge this principle. Previously, it was only the mind consciousness that knew the principle of non-self to a greater or lesser degree, but the manas did not know it, because its wisdom was shallow and its capacity to discern objects was insufficient, unable to deliberate deeply and minutely.

What the mind consciousness analyzes, deliberates, and understands belongs to intellectual understanding/interpretive awakening. This is because meditative concentration is not very good and has not penetrated to the manas, so the manas does not understand the principle. If meditative concentration is good, the mind consciousness's deliberation can penetrate deeply, with less superficial understanding; the mind consciousness moves slowly and can mobilize the power of the manas, letting the manas's capacity for deliberation come into function. Then when the manas itself understands, the mind consciousness certainly understands as well. When concentration is shallow and the mind consciousness does much analyzing, although the mind consciousness easily understands, the evidence presented to the manas is insufficient, and the manas's own capacity for deliberation is also inadequate, so the manas does not understand the principle. If the mind consciousness engages in less analytical effort and leaves more to the manas—letting the manas apply itself more and deliberate more—then one can directly realize that the five aggregates are without self.

The power of the manas's confirmation is extremely great; it can transform one's own mind, transform bodily, verbal, and mental actions, transform karmic conduct, and transform karmic seeds. Practicing in this way is taking a great shortcut. If you want the manas to apply itself more and realize through direct perception, you must enter deep dhyāna and let the mind consciousness move less—this is the principle of Chan investigation. Chan masters have always taught students to investigate Chan by leaving behind mind and consciousness, without analyzing, without emotional thinking and intellectual interpretation. Yet they may not necessarily understand the deep principle within, not knowing that this is the function of the manas, corresponding with the manas. Because the manas's operation belongs to the domain of the wisdom of seeds of consciousness-only, many Chan masters have not given rise to this wisdom of seeds. Therefore, the principle of eliminating the view of self is the same as the principle of investigating Chan: it also makes use of the manas, letting the manas secretly apply itself in deliberating on the selfless nature of the five aggregates, while the mind consciousness deliberates deeply and minutely within concentration, moving slowly and deeply. In this way one can penetrate to the manas, and only then correspond with the selfless nature.

If we excavate all the functions, natures, and roles of the manas, practice becomes a great shortcut—indeed the greatest shortcut. Then we can practice in leaps, and becoming a Buddha will be extremely swift.