Vitarka and Vicāra

Before the first dhyāna, the mind has both initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra); between the first dhyāna and the second dhyāna, the mind has initial application but no sustained examination; above the second dhyāna, the mind has neither initial application nor sustained examination. Compared with initial application, sustained examination involves coarser mental activity—it is active and moves more conspicuously; whereas initial application is more passive in character. When one is about to enter the second dhyāna, the mind no longer actively examines, but only passively cognizes; then it can no longer even cognize, and one enters the second dhyāna. Therefore, in meditative concentration (samādhi), sustained examination necessarily ceases first, and initial application ceases afterward. Quiet the mind, observe a little, and you will know. This sustained examination involves deliberation (manasikāra/manana) and is relatively coarse. Initial application is simply knowing—as long as the conscious mind exists, there is knowing, but not necessarily examination. When the mind is tired and the conscious mind is weak, one can no longer examine, but one can still have passive cognition.

Vitarka (initial application) is a very coarse mental activity, moving conspicuously; the conscious mind actively goes searching, wanting to investigate and discover. Vicāra (sustained examination) is a very subtle mental activity, moving faintly, not easy to detect, carrying the sense of passively waiting, no longer actively going forth. Sustained examination is similar to observation—the mind moves conspicuously, and one can easily observe it oneself. Initial application: as long as there is mind, there can be cognition; cognition can be extremely subtle, and often one does not even know that one is cognizing. Sustained examination is similar to vitarka, and initial application is similar to vicāra; the initial application after the first dhyāna is even subtler and more passive than vicāra.

When your power of meditative concentration is sufficient, enter deep into meditative concentration, observe and deliberate upon all dharmas yourself, and verify all dharmas yourself. Do not rely on established, habitual sayings—ready-made answers are not necessarily correct. Except for what the Buddha personally spoke, even if something is correct, you must still make your own observation through direct perception; only then can wisdom grow. Whether the Buddha-dharma can be learned well is related to whether each person's mind is meticulous and subtle, and is also related to one's foundation in language in worldly matters. Only by grasping the meaning of words and terms in theory accurately and profoundly can one deliberate correctly and in accordance with the Dharma, so as not to misunderstand the meaning of the text.

When entering meditative concentration, or if you have experienced very deep concentration, you can personally realize what state is sustained examination and what state is initial application. Grasping the connotations of words belongs to our literary cultivation, and this foundation must be trained well. In the future, when reading articles and Buddhist sutras, you will be able to deeply comprehend the connotations of written language, and thus correctly understand the original meaning of the sutras, without misunderstanding the Buddha's intent. Many people, when reading Buddhist sutras, cannot truly understand and comprehend them; cases of misinterpretation are extremely common. They often use their own misinterpreted meaning to judge others, saying that others have misinterpreted, without examining whether they themselves have misinterpreted.