How to Drive the Chariot of the Five Aggregates (pañca-skandha)

Ru Tao's Four Foundations of Mindfulness Contemplative Practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) Diary: In the initial stage of my four foundations of mindfulness training, wandering thoughts during sitting were very severe, making contemplative practice laborious. Now this hurdle has passed; when I sit, I no longer need to exert effort to deal with coarse wandering thoughts—I can settle into the breath, and can even enter shallow meditative concentration (samādhi), producing a slight sense of separation of body and mind. 

But I have found that the powers of meditative concentration and wisdom of my manas and mind consciousness are still quite feeble. To make an analogy: it is like in springtime, when the mountain streams have just passed the dry season—the water flows murmuring along, but can only float a small bamboo raft; it is not enough to bear a wooden boat, let alone like great rivers, deep in water and surging with waves, able to carry massive ships and great vessels—it is far from having that power. Now I seem to better appreciate the meaning of the term "dry wisdom" often mentioned in the Buddha's teachings. For a beginner in Buddhism like me, when the mind consciousness understands a bit of the principles of prajñā but the power of meditative concentration is still very shallow, the so-called "wisdom" is nothing but the sentimental musings and intellectual understanding of the superficial mind consciousness—how could there be the slightest power of merit (puṇya-bala) and genuine benefit? As Master said, such so-called "enlightenment" is only the "mis" of misunderstanding. I should sincerely repent for my past self-assurance and glib boasting. 

In my current training, the coarse wandering thoughts have been subdued, which only means that the manas ox is no longer as wild as before, its temperament having become a bit more docile; still, it remains quite lively and restless. When sitting, concentrating single-mindedly on contemplating the breath is like using the rope of the breath to tether it more securely, so that it grasps at things less. 

The reason this manas ox is so restless is, in the final analysis, that beginningless ignorance over countless kalpas has taken the realms of the six sense objects as real, and taken them as its own food, savoring them with relish. So whenever the mind-consciousness cowherd has spare time, it must constantly remind the manas ox that the realms of the six sense objects are false: the six sense faculties are illusory transformations, the six sense objects are illusory transformations, and when faculties and objects contact, the six consciousnesses that discern the object-realms are merely a succession of seeds of consciousness. Material form is emptiness (śūnyatā), and mind is also emptiness; the mountains, rivers, and the great earth, the self, body, and mind discerned by the mind consciousness are nothing but complex bioelectric signals in the brain of the inner six sense objects; the layers upon layers of wandering thoughts are nothing but illusory Image-Only Object mental sense-objects played with by the mind consciousness itself—not a single dharma is real in any way... Bury this message deep in the depths of the mind, and let the manas ox chew it over and ruminate well, hoping that one day it too will suddenly see the light! 

Assessment: All coarse wandering thoughts and subtle wandering thoughts are nothing but habitual tendencies and inertial forces formed by the manas, beginningless over countless kalpas, taking objects as real and persistently clinging to them firmly. It is like a car driven at full speed, not easy to brake; it is very strenuous for the mind consciousness to rein it in. Moreover, many people do not even want to rein it in, but instead indulge it without restraint, driving with even more horsepower. What the consequences are, everyone can imagine. How to rein in this car so that it can slowly decelerate and run safely and smoothly is an important topic we should ponder deeply. 

It happens that we now have the contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) objectives of the four foundations of mindfulness, which can allow the manas to gradually shift its energy over and gradually settle into them; the car's speed slowly decreases and it no longer jolts. Drawing attention away from afflictive trifles and facing the single matter of the breath, the mind becomes still, afflictions settle, and the clear water at the surface will reflect the true countenance of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha). One may then discover that the five aggregates are not actually so real and reliable—that in the past they were all mistakenly recognized and mistakenly clung to. From then on, ignorance and afflictions will gradually be peeled away from the mind, bringing ease and stability, reducing and eliminating suffering and pain. 

The four foundations of mindfulness are precisely the excellent medicinal prescription the Buddha opened for treating the diseases of body and mind. As long as one takes it with confidence, both bodily illness and mental illness will be eliminated, and one will attain liberation by wisdom (paññāvimutti). Do not doubt it: the Buddha is the Great King of Medicine, able to rescue sentient beings from fire and water. Following the Buddha's guidance, one will surely reach the oasis on the other shore to rest and settle.

Throughout the entire process of practice, the mind consciousness, like a guide, points out the direction for the manas. Once the manas understands the direction and walks the right path, it must rely on its own mental power and wisdom to face all realms, to ponder, to explore, to discover the truth, and to reverse past mistaken cognition—only thus can it gain new life. The mind consciousness, this co-pilot, just needs to keep watch and assist from the side; everything still depends on the manas itself, for the car of the five aggregates must, after all, be driven by Him personally—the mind consciousness cannot substitute for that seat.