How to Transform Delusive Thoughts into Wisdom

During these days of sitting meditation, I deliberately observed how those wandering thoughts arise. Even when the mind consciousness is not thinking, wandering thoughts still pop up—it is because the mind consciousness has gone elsewhere; this is the manas engaging in grasping. If the manas does not grasp, wandering thoughts will not appear. Especially matters that one usually pays close attention to, or matters of interest—during evening meditation, they more easily pop up. Therefore, whether one can maintain tranquility (praśama) of mind during the day is very important; when the mind is tranquil, wandering thoughts do not easily arise.

Therefore, when dealing with affairs during the day, one should engage with matters without letting them enter the mind, letting them pass without leaving a trace. In this way, the mind more easily becomes tranquil, and not so many wandering thoughts will appear. Of course, thinking that one should deliberately suppress oneself from letting matters (sense objects) enter the mind has little effect; subduing afflictions cannot rely on suppression alone. One should be skillful in turning one's thoughts to contemplate: all marks are false and illusory; all dharmas are suffering, empty, impermanent, and without self; the physical body is impure, and so on. Let the mind consciousness deliberate on these matters repeatedly; once the deliberation is clear, afflictions dissolve, and only then can one keep people, matters, and things from entering the mind so deeply, reducing or even eliminating the manas's preoccupation with matters and sense objects. 

Assessment: Wandering thoughts originate from the manas's grasping and obsessive attachment. The manas's grasping at the world of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) is extremely stubborn and obstinate; its grasping at the six sense objects is also very tenacious, almost never ceasing for a moment—even after falling asleep it is still like this, so that the mind cannot attain tranquility, wisdom cannot be born, and afflictions cannot be eliminated. It is very difficult to subdue this grasping nature of the manas; one can only redirect the manas's object of grasping, shift its attention, letting it grasp a dharma and fixing it in place; only afterwards can its mental activity become somewhat simpler. This is the method of using a wedge to drive out a wedge; finally, when the wedge is pulled out, the mind will become empty. Recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), reciting mantras, and reciting sutras are all methods of using a wedge to drive out a wedge; contemplative practices (vipaśyanā-caryā) such as mindfulness of breathing, the white bone contemplation, and the four foundations of mindfulness are all methods of using a wedge to drive out a wedge. As long as the manas can become focused, deliberating (manana) exclusively on one dharma, wisdom can be born. 

When wandering thoughts proliferate, do not rush to eliminate them; watch them, observe them, and search for their place of origin. You will discover that wandering thoughts come from nowhere and go nowhere, having no root, like duckweed floating on water. So there is no need at all to counteract them. Give them a new object condition (ālambana-pratyaya), give Him a new and important task, keep Him busy with one thing, and the mind will settle into purity, and wisdom will be able to appear. The reason the manas lacks wisdom is that He grasps too much—the dharmas He grasps are too many, so He cannot deliberate with focus, and thus cannot see any principle clearly; naturally, there will be no wisdom. Therefore, if you wish to gain wisdom, you must cultivate meditation (samādhi), settling the manas down to face only one problem, one dharma; then the problem can be solved, and the great matter of birth and death can also be resolved.