Characteristics of Wisdom Developed Through Reflection

Original text of the Abhidharmakośa-bhāṣya, Volume 23:思所成慧准此应说。次于生死深生厌患。欣乐涅槃寂静功德。此后多引厌观现前。方便勤修渐增渐胜。引起如是能顺决择。思所成摄最胜善根。即所修总缘共相法念住。

Explanation: The wisdom developed through reflection (cintāmayī-prajñā) should also be described, following the standard of the wisdom developed through hearing (śrutamayī-prajñā). After the wisdom developed through hearing is perfected, one will develop deep weariness and aversion toward birth-and-death in saṃsāra, become weary of the mundane world, and delight in the tranquil merits of nirvāṇa. After this, one will increasingly bring forth contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) that is weary of the world, directly perceiving the world as something to be loathed; thus one's cultivation of the path and contemplative practice will become ever more diligent, the contemplative practice ever deeper, and the wisdom ever more excellent. This will even bring forth the factors conducive to determination (nirvedha-bhāgīya) that accord with the truth that the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) are suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self. Then the most supreme wholesome roots, subsumed under the wisdom developed through reflection, appear — this is the contemplation of dharmas (dharma-smṛtyupasthāna) that one cultivates, contemplating from the totality of the five aggregates the common characteristics (sāmānya-lakṣaṇa) of the Four Noble Truths.

The common characteristics refer to the fact that the five aggregates of all sentient beings are equally suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self; the five aggregates of all sentient beings share these common attributes. In contrast to this are the specific characteristics (svalakṣaṇa), which are the attributes of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self of the five aggregates of an individual sentient being. The contemplation of dharmas must be observed sequentially from both the perspective of specific characteristics and that of common characteristics in order for the cultivation to reach perfection.

This passage describes the appearance and characteristics of the wisdom developed through reflection. The most essential feature is the presence of a mind weary of the world of the five aggregates — weariness of the three realms of existence, yearning for the pure merits of nirvāṇa, a mind that accords with the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self nature of the five aggregates, a mind that does not contradict the principle of the Four Noble Truths, and a proper and truthful determination regarding the four establishments of mindfulness, giving rise to the factors conducive to determination. "Accord" means to comply with and not deviate from the Four Noble Truths. If the mind resists non-self, impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, then there are no factors conducive to determination, and the wisdom of hearing is also not complete and full.

If a practitioner has not yet developed a mind of renunciation toward the world of the five aggregates, still harbors desires and hopes toward the world, praises worldly dharmas, clings to the dharmas of the three realms and refuses to let go, is attached to worldly relatives and kin with deep emotional attachment, then there is no wisdom developed through reflection, and no accordance with the principle of the Four Noble Truths. In that case, the wisdom developed through cultivation (bhāvanāmayī-prajñā) is even less complete, and one is far too distant from realizing the path. By observing the words and deeds of many so-called people who have realized the fruits and seen the mind, one finds that very few are weary of the world, while the vast majority are full of greed and hope toward the world. Therefore, these so-called fruits differ too greatly from the true fruits; considering their future retributions, one cannot help but sigh with regret.

Some people will say: "We who study the Mahāyāna dharma and wish to attain the Buddha path must retain the five aggregates and cultivate within the world of the five aggregates, benefiting ourselves and benefiting others; we should not renounce the world of the five aggregates — to renounce the world would be to lack the bodhisattva lineage (gotra)." This is mistaken. Bodhisattvas should, like the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, develop weariness toward the world; it is only that although they are weary, they do not leave it. They absolutely do not, like ordinary beings, delight in and cling to the world. Knowing full well that the world is illusory and transformed, how could a bodhisattva's wisdom harbor any hopes and desires toward such an illusory world? If there are desires, greed, and delight, it shows that their wisdom is deficient and flawed, and that they do not understand the principle of emptiness and illusion. Bodhisattvas know the world is empty and illusory; their minds are plain and indifferent, without desires or demands. Yet for the sake of the path and sentient beings, in accordance with their vows, they have no choice but to walk in the world. The minds of ordinary beings, however, are not in a situation of "having no choice" — they delight in the world, savor the world, and cannot bear to leave it. Therefore, whether one is a Small Vehicle or Great Vehicle practitioner, as long as one develops the wisdom of reflection, one will inevitably develop weariness and desire for renunciation toward the world. A bodhisattva who has not left desire is not a true bodhisattva.

Both the wisdom of hearing and the wisdom of reflection involve meditative concentration (samādhi); it is only that the depth of the concentration differs. If one does not even have basic, rudimentary meditative concentration, then the wisdom of hearing cannot be complete and full, let alone the wisdom of reflection and the wisdom of cultivation. Every kind of wisdom is inseparable from meditative concentration. Without concentration, the mind is scattered and the spirit unfocused; then hearing and reflection are incomplete. Shallow concentration means shallow wisdom; deep concentration means deep wisdom. In the subsequent process of accumulating the wisdom of cultivation, meditative concentration must be complete with preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) in order to investigate and attain realization, thereby seeing the path. When preparatory concentration is not complete, one may have the wisdom of hearing and the wisdom of reflection, and may even have the wisdom of cultivation, but the wisdom of cultivation cannot be perfected, and thus one cannot see the path.