How to Eradicate the Grasping Nature of the Manas

If the grasping and clinging nature of the manas is subdued, then wherever you sit down, the mind is empty and vacant, and meditative concentration (samādhi) manifests; walking, standing, sitting, and lying down feel as if one were in empty space. As clinging lightens, body and mind become tranquil and at ease. Thus, emptiness first empties the manas, and afterward the mind consciousness becomes empty, with the mind utterly empty and vacant.

To remove the manas's grasping at the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), one must let the manas, in a state of meditative concentration, slowly and subtly follow along with the mind consciousness's contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), letting the manas gradually deliberate (manasikāra) upon the content that the mind consciousness contemplates and examines. When the manas truly deliberates and understands, and becomes certain that the five aggregates are indeed empty and illusory, then one realizes the non-self of the five aggregates. If only the mind consciousness knows this principle while the manas is not certain or affirmative, it is not realization. When the manas lacks concentration and is scattered and grasping at objects, it cannot focus on considering the Dharma principles, and realization is impossible. Only when the manas has concentration, is not scattered or grasping, and the mind is focused and concentrated, can it deliberate and observe, and finally confirm—then ignorance is eradicated.

In the specific contemplative practice, first observe how the aggregate of form arises and how it ceases, observe how the aggregate of feeling arises and how it ceases, deliberating and observing slowly and carefully, gradually accepting the suffering, emptiness, and impermanence of the aggregate of form and the aggregate of feeling. Without concentration, there is only the mind consciousness's thinking and analysis, which cannot penetrate to the manas; the manas cannot accept this principle and may even resist it.

Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of perception: for example, when drinking tea, observe how the knowing of the tea's flavor arises and how it ceases; when hearing sounds, observe how the knowing and grasping of the sounds arise and how they subside. Give the manas a certain amount of time and energy, slowly and quietly letting it deliberate and ponder, letting it accept, letting it generate its own deliberation in accordance with the mind consciousness's direct perception. When there is concentration, the contemplative practice can penetrate to the manas. All dharmas must be accepted and acknowledged by the manas before change occurs, for the manas believes that seeing with one's own eyes is believing.

Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of volitional formations—the arising and ceasing of bodily, verbal, and mental actions. The whole series of actions—taking the tea, brewing the tea, drinking the tea—are all the aggregate of volitional formations. Observe how the aggregate of volitional formations arises and ceases, how it is suffering, empty, and impermanent, and how it is non-self; then, when the manas affirms it, the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) is eradicated, and the subsequent practice is to gradually eradicate the clinging to self. Contemplative practice requires meditative concentration; in concentration, the manas is given ample time and energy to deliberate upon the Dharma and personally verify the non-self nature of the five aggregates. When the manas is grasping everywhere and extremely busy, it simply has no energy to consider and confirm the Dharma principles that the mind consciousness has been steeped in.

Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of consciousness: when the eye sees forms, observe how the eye consciousness arises and how it ceases; when hearing sounds, observe how the ear consciousness arises and ceases. Observe in this way, one consciousness at a time, observing the arising and ceasing, illusoriness, impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self of the six consciousnesses. One must observe slowly and meticulously, penetrating to the manas, letting the manas think, observe, and acknowledge along with it; once the manas acknowledges it, it can gradually relax its grasping at the five aggregates, and there is hope for the eradication of the clinging to self.