How to Do the Work of Investigation

For example, suppose we now want to investigate the question of whether the manas is in a state of neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā). There is a huatou or a case example, somewhat longer, such as: when a person is extremely happy, they dance and gesticulate with hands and feet, jubilant and elated; when angry, they hurl abusive words and come to blows. First we must understand that these bodily formations and verbal formations are directed and commanded into action by the manas, with the participation of the body consciousness and the mind consciousness, as well as the participation of the eye consciousness and the ear consciousness; several consciousnesses working together in cooperation give rise to these bodily formations and verbal formations. Since these are directed and commanded into action by the manas, why does the manas direct and produce two different kinds of bodily and verbal formations? When happy, why does the manas direct the production of dancing and gesticulating, expressing its happiness and excitement? When angry, why does it hurl abusive words, expressing its angry mind and indignation? Is the manas not happy when one is happy—only in neutral feeling? Is it not angry when one is angry—also in neutral feeling? Does the manas have no emotional response of happiness or anger? If the manas has no emotion of happiness and does not feel joy, why can it still direct the six consciousnesses to dance and gesticulate? If the manas has no emotional response of displeasure, no feeling of suffering, then when angry, why can it still direct the six consciousnesses to come to blows?

Although these questions are somewhat long, the mind consciousness must carefully deliberate and analyze them, clearly and thoroughly discerning the meaning within all this language; at this time there are words, language, and sound-images, and the mind must repeatedly bring forth the appearances of words and language. After the mind consciousness has understood the meaning of this language on the surface, it must condense these meanings into a single point, formless and without characteristics, and hand it over to the manas; then the mind deeply and persistently holds this formless, characteristicless meaning. This is the manas's mode of deliberation (manasikāra): without words, language, or sounds, silent, deep, continuous—morning it is thus, evening it is thus—absolutely unshifting, finally not abandoning it whether in dreams or awake. This is the manas's investigation, with the manas as the primary agent and the mind consciousness as the auxiliary. Earlier, when deliberating on and understanding the content of the words and language, the mind consciousness was primary and the manas assisted the mind consciousness; now it is exactly the reverse. This is the true method of investigating Chan, the true skill of investigation. When the conditions ripen, one will certainly break through the barrier, find the answer, realize and resolve the doubts in one's mind, the questioning doubt will greatly open up, and one will attain enlightenment in Chan investigation.

When the manas investigates the functional characteristics of the manas itself, it also has no concept of "the manas" or "self," does not correspond to concepts and words, has no language and no idle chatter—straightforward and plain, simple and clean, direct and incisive, heading straight to the center and the key point. It need not interfere with eating, drinking, and bodily functions, need not interfere with walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, need not interfere with the normal life activities of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha); there are simply no scattered thoughts, no extra mental preoccupations—rather focused, not mixing the mind with other uses.

This is the manas investigating itself. Investigating the tathāgatagarbha is also like this; investigating any dharma meaning is also like this. No matter how profound the dharma meaning, one must do this kind of practice, must apply effort in this way. The mind consciousness and the manas cooperate closely with each other, while the tathāgatagarbha serves as the hidden assistant, the unnamed benefactor, supplying everything needed and all the sustenance for the investigation.