Four Mindfulness Foundations Observational Practice Experience
Chapter One: The Theory of Contemplative Practice (Vipaśyanā-caryā) on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
I. How to Practice Contemplation on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
Contemplation means observing, watching, discovering, and detecting: whatever a thing is like, one should immediately know it as it is, without the mind consciousness processing it. In other words, observe whatever happens. For example, when contemplating the breath, one should try to observe all conditions related to the breath as much as possible, and ignore everything else—do not analyze, do not interpret, do not reason, do not imagine, do not speculate, do not organize, do not generalize, do not summarize; do not let the mind consciousness bustle about. Just quietly and peacefully observe—that is all. Observe things as they truly are, and do not make unnecessary trouble.
What has been observed will naturally be faced, examined, and deliberated upon by the manas. The mind consciousness cannot substitute for the manas in awakening to all dharmas. Therefore, let the mind consciousness remain pure and simply observe things as they truly are. The great matters should be decided by the manas itself; ignorance must be personally eradicated by the manas; truth must be personally discovered by the manas. If, while observing the breath, the phenomenon of the breath cannot be observed, it indicates that the power of meditative concentration is insufficient and the mind is still coarse. One needs to strengthen the power of awareness, concentrate attention, and subdue the scattered mind. One should observe deeply and comprehensively bit by bit, following the original text of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sūtra, and one's power of observation will improve.
II. How to Contemplate the Breath (1)
What is contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā)? Contemplative practice means observing, examining, deliberating, and pondering. For example, when there is a flower before you, you observe the flower's overall form and its local details, observing its posture, variety, color, petals, charm, freshness, and so on—this is contemplative practice. Contemplating the four foundations of mindfulness is done in the same way. The four foundations of mindfulness are: contemplating the body as impure, contemplating feelings as suffering, contemplating the mind as impermanent, and contemplating dharmas as non-self. The first contemplation is contemplating the body as impure. Begin by contemplating the breath; following step by step what is taught in the Buddhist sutras, one can observe the various conditions of the material body during breathing.
For example, observe the act of inhaling: where does the air enter from when inhaling? Upon observation, one discovers that the air enters through the nostrils, passes through the nasal cavity, enters the lungs, and then descends along the Conception Vessel into the dantian. This is the process of the air entering. Observe the various phenomena and feelings that arise in the material body during this inhalation process—whether the inhalation is long or short, whether the breath is cool or warm. Then observe the various conditions of the material body during exhalation: know where the air exits from, what places it passes through, what sensations there are, where it goes out to, whether the breath is long or short, whether it is cool or warm. Throughout the entire breathing process, observe whether the breath is deep or shallow, smooth or unsmooth, where the breath reaches, whether the breathing is long or short—all these phenomena should be known. This process is called contemplative practice.
During the process of contemplative practice, the power of meditative concentration will grow, because all one's energy is focused on the breath, without distracting thoughts, making it easy to attain concentration. Within the mind there is a knowing—a knowing of the contemplated dharma, a knowing of the breath. There must be knowing of all contemplated dharmas; in this way the mind will not be scattered. During the process of contemplative practice, the knowing of ignorance will gradually transition into the knowing of enlightenment. Clear knowing is wisdom. Because there is concentration and clear wisdom, when the contemplative practice reaches a certain degree and the conditions and time ripen, one will know that the breath is a dharma of impermanence, arising and ceasing, that it is empty and suffering, that it is non-self—and wisdom will arise. In this way it is easy to eradicate the view of self, but knowing is not the same as realizing.
The Satipaṭṭhāna Sūtra is not only a sutra for cultivating concentration but also a sutra for cultivating wisdom. The Satipaṭṭhāna Sūtra teaches the simultaneous operation of śamatha and vipaśyanā, the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā. Within concentration there is a knowing; when the knowing reaches a certain degree, it transitions from the knowing of ignorance to the knowing of enlightenment, knowing that all the dharmas you contemplate are impermanent, arising and ceasing, changing, empty, suffering, and non-self. In this way the wisdom of liberation arises; there is both contemplation and knowing in the mind. From the not-knowing of ignorance to the knowing of enlightenment, there is a process, which does not require much thinking and analysis. One only needs a clear, lucid knowing—not using much of the mind consciousness to think, weigh, compare, reason, generalize, or summarize. None of these are needed. Just maintain a knowing in direct perception; just maintain the knowing, and at a certain point wisdom will appear. Question to ponder: Why does maintaining a knowing in direct perception give rise to wisdom, and thereby enable the eradication of the view of self and the realization of the fruits?
III. How to Contemplate the Breath (2)
When contemplating the breath, one should place all one's energy on the breath, and not concern oneself with what will happen to the body, whether the yang spirit will emerge in the future, and so on. The Daoist yang spirit has nothing to do with us. Too many things do not need to be understood; it is enough for us to understand the influence of qi channels on the material body. Knowing this theory is enough—do not concern yourself with the yang spirit. We are not cultivating the yang spirit; we are cultivating the mind, in order to attain realization and eradicate the view of self. A slight understanding of what may happen to the body is enough; deeper and more extensive knowledge of cultivating the body has nothing to do with our cultivation of the mind. Do not spend energy on unnecessary things.
We cultivate and study the four foundations of mindfulness, and now we focus mainly on contemplating the breath. Apart from the breath, pay as little attention as possible to other aspects of the material body; keep attention only on the breath. When contemplating the breath to a certain degree and the power of concentration strengthens, one will discover the objective truths of the material body's emptiness, illusoriness, impermanence, and non-self. If one pays too much attention to the material body, attention will be scattered, affecting the contemplation of the breath.
When contemplating, be as objective as possible; observe calmly, without adding subjective consciousness. Whatever the state of the material body is, just know it; do not add excessive thoughts, guidance, and other such notions. In the beginning you may regulate the breath, but afterwards do not regulate it anymore—follow the breath. In this way your mind will naturally leap outside the five-aggregate body, and turning back, contemplate the five-aggregate body and the breath, standing at a commanding height to look back and observe the state of the material body. In this way, on the one hand it is easy to enter concentration, and on the other hand it is easy for wisdom to arise, and one will discover many truths. Truths previously unknown are now known; gradually one will feel that the material body is so impermanent, so unreal, so illusory, and gradually the wisdom of non-self will arise.
IV. How to Regulate Body and Mind to Quickly Enter the State of Contemplating the Breath (1)
After sitting down well, join the palms and recite three times "Homage to our original teacher Śākyamuni Buddha." Recite slowly, while visualizing the Buddha's light shining over your entire body. After reciting, let the mind settle down and then adjust the breathing. Some people's minds are quite calm after sitting down; in that case there is no need to adjust the breath, and one can directly enter the state of sitting meditation and meditative concentration.
If at the start the mind is quite scattered and one cannot contemplate the breath, one needs first to recollect the Buddha or recite a mantra. When recollecting the Buddha, use the method of reciting the Buddha's name with the breath. This kind of recollection is actually also regulating the breath, gradually opening up the air passage so that the breath can descend to the dantian. Once the breath descends to the dantian, the mental attention will also follow to the dantian; or conversely, when the attention reaches the dantian, the breath also follows to the dantian. At this time the dantian will feel warm and hot, and with fewer delusive thoughts it is easy to attain concentration. When the body becomes quiet, the mind also becomes quiet.
Note that when recollecting the Buddha, the speed should be slowed down—recite slowly. The slower one recites, the better the breath is regulated, and the more concentrated and less scattered the mental attention is. Only then will the next step of contemplative practice be effective. When reciting "Amitābha Buddha" with deep breaths, because the recitation is very slow and the concentration is very intense, meditative concentration will quickly appear. At this time delusive thoughts are not likely to arise, because all attention is focused on reciting the Buddha's name and listening to it. This helps reduce delusive thoughts and stop other delusive thoughts; there is only the thought of the Buddha's name. As the recitation continues and meditative concentration appears, one can no longer recite aloud—at this point body and mind become still. When still, transfer this mental attention to contemplating the breath, and continue contemplating the state of one's breathing. This method aids contemplative practice.
Another method of regulating body and mind is deep breathing. The duration of deep breathing should be determined according to each person's physical condition. If the body is in good condition, one or two breaths, or three to five deep breaths, may be enough to attain concentration; some people may need to do it ten times. After entering the state, begin contemplating the breath. Since the breath has already been regulated, at this time the circulation of qi and blood is normal, and the mind can concentrate—then begin the contemplation. The specific method of contemplative practice should follow the methods and sequence taught in the Buddhist sutras, deepening the contemplation bit by bit. For example, directly realizing that the material body will decay and cannot last long, that the mind consciousness, the perceiving mind, is not self, that the deliberating and decision-making manas is not self, and so on. At this time, sitting in meditation will not fall into torpor, because there is a very deep object of attention (ālambana) on which the mind can focus and ponder, making torpor unlikely.
V. How to Adjust Body and Mind to Quickly Enter the State of Contemplative Practice (2)
When sitting in meditation and practicing contemplation, in order to quickly settle the mind into tranquility, one must first regulate the breath well so that qi and blood flow smoothly. Only when the body is regulated can the mind become quiet and the mental attention concentrate; then, when contemplating, the mind will be clear and lucid. If the contemplation still cannot be clear and lucid, one should first recollect the Buddha or recite a mantra to adjust body and mind. When reciting, the speed must be slow—recite slowly. The slower the recitation, the better the breath is regulated, and the more concentrated and less scattered the mental attention. If one can simultaneously visualize the Buddha, visualizing the Buddha's light shining over the whole body, one will receive the power of blessing, the mind can quickly become quiet, and one can directly enter the state of contemplative practice. Therefore, regulating the mental attention and the breath before sitting quietly to practice contemplation is a crucial step.
When the body is well adjusted and qi and blood flow well, the mind can become quiet, and the contemplative practice will be effective. When the mind cannot become quiet, one can do several deep breaths to adjust, or use the method of reciting the Buddha's name with the breath to adjust. Reciting the Buddha's name with the breath is actually also regulating the breath, and will gradually open the Conception Vessel at the front of the body, allowing the breath to reach the dantian. When the breath enters the dantian, the mental attention will concentrate and other delusive thoughts will disappear. Once the attention reaches the dantian, the breathing will naturally become smooth, the dantian will become warm, the whole body will be comfortable, and it is easy to attain concentration. When the body becomes quiet, the mind also becomes quiet.
The number of deep breaths and their length should be based on individual physical condition. Those with good physical constitution and few delusive thoughts need only one to five deep breaths; at most ten deep breaths suffice—more will cause fatigue and the effect will instead be poor. After the mind quiets down, then contemplate the breath and contemplate the body as impure, following the sequence of contemplative practice bit by bit. If the earlier dharma has not been practiced to proficiency, do not contemplate the later dharma; only after the foundation of the earlier contemplation is firm should one contemplate the later ones.
When using the method of reciting the Buddha's name with the breath to adjust the body, note that one recites only while exhaling—one cannot recite while inhaling. Use the back-throat voice to recite aloud; the vibration of the sound waves can shake open the blocked places in the five viscera and six bowels, and the airflow can descend straight to the dantian, opening the Conception Vessel at the front, and the body will be regulated. Because the recitation is very slow, delusive thoughts are not likely to arise, and it also regulates the breathing—making it easiest to attain concentration. Because it is slow, all attention is focused on reciting the Buddha's name and listening to it, the mind easily settles into tranquility, which helps reduce and stop delusive thoughts. When meditative concentration appears, one can no longer recite aloud—at this point one becomes still, and with the mind pure, one can clearly contemplate the breath.
After adjusting body and mind in this way and the qi and blood flow freely, sitting in meditation will no longer lead to torpor, for torpor is mainly caused by blocked qi and blood. Furthermore, with a very deep object of attention, the mind can focus and torpor is unlikely. When qi and blood are blocked and nutrition cannot supply the brain's consumption, torpor easily arises. The cause of torpor is that the body's qi and blood have not been well regulated; once regulated, torpor will not occur, and one enters the normal state of contemplative practice.
VI. How to Practice Moving from Stillness to Motion in Contemplating the Breath
After the skill of contemplative practice in sitting meditation has become proficient, one should practice keeping the mind still during daily activities while continuing to contemplate the breath. When sitting very purely in meditation and contemplating very attentively, try slowly leaving the seat and doing walking meditation on the ground—walking or strolling, fast or slow—and observe whether one's mental attention at this time can still rest on the breath, and whether it can avoid being turned by the surrounding sense objects. If the mental attention cannot be carried away, it shows that the concentration in contemplating the breath is very good; then one can practice focusing on contemplating the breath at any time and in any situation. If one can still contemplate the breath during activity, fixing the mind on the breath without shifting, it shows that this concentration is very good—even stronger than the concentration during sitting meditation. At this point the skill of contemplating the breath is quite deep, and the skill of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down can become one continuous whole.
VII. Cultivating Concentration in Motion Based on Still Concentration
Concentration that combines stillness and motion more easily gives rise to wisdom than concentration in stillness alone, because there are more conditions that promote the arising of wisdom, and sudden enlightenment easily occurs amid the conditions of external objects. Moreover, most people toil for their livelihood and cannot remain in sitting meditation for long periods, so cultivating concentration during activity is extremely important. When the mind can remain in concentration while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, such concentration is relatively stable, bodily, verbal, and mental actions can all be pure, and the benefits are greater. After the skill of contemplative practice in sitting meditation has become proficient, one should practice maintaining concentration during bodily activities, making the contemplation even more focused.
When the contemplative practice in sitting meditation is very focused, try slowly leaving the seat and doing walking meditation on the ground, walking, strolling, fast or slow, and then introspect to see whether one's mental attention can still rest on the breath, not being turned by the surrounding sense objects. However, without concentration in stillness as the foundation for beginning cultivation, it is difficult to have meditative concentration during bodily, verbal, and mental activities. If during activity the mental attention cannot be carried away by sense objects, it shows that the power of concentration has strengthened. Concentration during activity is extremely important; it has more occasions for functioning and more opportunities for awakening to the Path. If during activity the mind is not scattered and can maintain the concentration of contemplative practice, it shows that the skill of contemplating the breath is quite mature, and the skill of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down has become one continuous whole.
VIII. The Difference Between Two Kinds of Śamatha: Continuous Single Thought and No-Arising of Thought
Śamatha means stopping, ceasing, halting—that is, concentration, being settled and unmoving. Who stops and who is concentrated? The body stops and the body is concentrated, thereby letting the sixth and seventh consciousnesses stop and become concentrated—mainly letting the sixth and seventh consciousnesses stop and become concentrated. When bodily actions cease, the body consciousness and mind consciousness will gradually cease, but not be extinguished, because there is still perception at this time, only very slight perception. After the six consciousnesses no longer move, the seventh consciousness can no longer move either, because the six consciousnesses no longer follow the manas's grasping; the manas has no way to continue attending to dharmas and has no choice but to stop. However, because of its special position and function, the manas must attend to dharmas and the body; it merely attends to fewer dharmas and moves only slightly.
If the mind consciousness attends to a single unmoving thought—there is still one thought in the mind—this belongs to the domain of contemplation within concentration. If the mind consciousness contemplates, the seventh consciousness, the manas, will necessarily attend to the dharma contemplated by the mind consciousness; over time the manas will also contemplate. Once the manas contemplates attentively, it has entered the right path and will sooner or later see the truth of facts. This state is called continuous single thought—it is the state of contemplative practice.
As for no-arising of thought, the mind consciousness has no thought and no longer contemplates; it has completely ceased and does not move. But the seventh consciousness, the manas, cannot completely cease and be motionless—it must have thought; the question lies in what it thinks about and whether that thinking is single-minded. If it can single-mindedly think of one dharma and there is also questioning doubt, it is in the state of investigation. This can serve as a deep-level method of investigating Chan, but it is rather difficult to cultivate; most people cannot handle it well, and it is not as easy to practice contemplation as when the mind consciousness has thought. But the more difficult the method, the more effective the skill, and the easier to enter the Path and realize the Path. Once the Path is realized, the measure of wisdom realized will be very high.
IX. Will Practicing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness by Contemplating the Breath Fall into Inert Emptiness?
The result of contemplative practice on the four foundations of mindfulness is the eradication of the view of self and the realization of the Śrāvaka fruit of liberation, and ultimately the elimination of afflictions and attainment of liberation. Since everyone has afflictions and the view of self, everyone is an ordinary being (pṛthagjana), and therefore needs to eradicate the view of self—and the eradication of the view of self can begin with contemplating the breath in the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness. Ordinary beings all have a self in their minds, all minds, and all afflictions; that is precisely why they need to cultivate non-self and eliminate afflictions. Cultivation should begin from the foundation, bit by bit, starting with contemplating the breath, going from shallow to deep; only then can one realize non-self and empty the mind so that afflictions are exhausted.
For ordinary beings, no matter what kind of emptiness it is, as long as one can empty even a little, it is quite good. Empty as much as possible; let go as much as possible. Do not fear inert emptiness or annihilatory emptiness, because ordinary beings simply cannot achieve inert emptiness or annihilatory emptiness. So empty as much as possible—the emptier the better. Forget all previous knowledge and understanding, hollow out the mind, become like an infant, and start learning anew bit by bit. All previously learned knowledge and understanding are tangled vines, lying horizontally across the mind, neither up nor down, blocking uncomfortably. Now empty them all out, make the mind clean and pure, and then fill it anew with pure dharmas. What was learned before and could not be digested may in some cases become an illness. If it can be emptied, the illness is cured; if it cannot be emptied, one remains ill, or one must find one's own way to treat the disease. Others can only offer suggestions; the one who can cure the disease is only oneself.
The more theory one encounters, the harder it is to digest, all blocked in the mind, so that the medicine becomes the disease. If one's capacity for digestion and absorption is not good, one should clear away some of the deeper theories and practice more hands-on with dharma meanings that are easy to digest and absorb. However good a theory may be, if it cannot be digested, it should be set aside for the time being; begin cultivation from the basic dharma meanings, and do not aim too high.
X. How to Make Delusive Thoughts Disappear
All thoughts, ideas, and notions come from ignorance, and ignorance has no place of origin and no destination—it is an illusory dharma. Since delusive thoughts, ideas, and notions come from ignorance that has no source, there is no need to take them seriously. See through them, see them thoroughly, do not follow deluded thoughts as they rise and fall—remain suchness immovable (tathatā-acalita). Gradually these ignorant thoughts will disappear on their own, the mind will become pure and peaceful, and then contemplate the object of attention—bright and lucid, with ignorance growing thinner. Human ideas and notions come and go; even if one wants to keep them, they cannot be kept; they always keep changing and cannot be fixed. See through them, ignore them, do not move with them, and the mind will naturally be cool and refreshed.
The same applies to contemplating the breath: objectively watch and observe the breath, without stirring emotions, without actively adding notions, without matching theory to experience—just blankly and dully watching, observing from outside the situation. Will one not gradually be able to see through this little matter of the material body? And then gradually see through this little matter of the five aggregates? It is just this little matter—nothing major. It is only because of grasping that it feels like a big matter.
XI. The Process of Contemplative Practice Is the Process of Cultivating Concentration and Wisdom Together
What is contemplation? Contemplation is the observation and examination of dharmas, and then making a correct judgment and arriving at a conclusion that accords with reason. This complete process of contemplative practice begins with the mind consciousness starting to contemplate, gradually deepening, with the mental attention single-pointed, and meditative concentration appearing. Up to this point it is only a preliminary contemplation, still rather shallow and coarse. Even if a conclusion emerges, it is only the mind consciousness's coarse conclusion, not detailed enough; there is still doubt in the mind that has not been resolved—this is the manas's doubt, meaning that the manas does not yet clearly and lucidly understand this conclusion.
Contemplate one step further: the mental attention becomes increasingly single-pointed, meditative concentration becomes increasingly deep, the role played by the mind consciousness becomes smaller and smaller, and the deliberative function of the manas becomes larger and larger. In the end, when the manas's wisdom is sufficient to make a judgment, a conclusion that accords with reality and reason will be reached—only then is doubt truly severed and the dharma truly realized. This is the result of the mind consciousness and the manas cooperating in contemplative practice together.
In contemplative practice on the four foundations of mindfulness, one first cultivates contemplating the body as impure. Contemplating the body must begin with contemplating the breath. As for how specifically to contemplate, the Buddhist sutras all teach it. As long as one honestly and solidly practices step by step according to those contemplative steps, one can observe as it truly is the conditions of the breath and the body faculty. For example, right now one is inhaling: know where the air enters from when inhaling, the route it passes through, and the sensations along the way. The mind should clearly know that the air enters through the nostrils, then passes through the nasal cavity into the lungs, and then enters the dantian. Inhalation is roughly such a process. The quieter the mind, the clearer the details and the more distinct the sensations.
When exhaling, observe where the air exits from, where it travels from and to, whether the breath is long or short, cool or warm, and what the body's sensations are—all must be clearly observed. When the mental attention is clear and lucid, one will know whether the breath is deep or shallow, long or short, where the breath has traveled, where it is blocked and not flowing, and how the breath is exhaled. This is contemplation—the preliminary stage in which the mind consciousness is primary.
During the process of contemplation, when the mental attention is single-pointed there is concentration, because all energy is focused on contemplating the breath, no longer attending to or pondering other issues; with no distracting thoughts in the mind, the mind settles into concentration. After attaining concentration, one must also maintain a contemplation—maintain within the mind a knowing of the breath. For the dharma currently contemplated, the mind must know it. If one cannot know it clearly, it shows that the mind is scattered or has fallen into torpor. Knowing represents the clear, lucid wisdom of knowing. With this knowing, the wisdom that the material body is non-self can gradually arise.
While clearly knowing the breath, there is concentration; when the mind is very lucid, there is wisdom—the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā, and the wisdom of emptiness will gradually arise. When the contemplation reaches a certain degree, one can recognize that the breath is arising and ceasing and impermanent, that the body is arising and ceasing and impermanent, and the wisdom of emptiness arises. This is the manas's wisdom. The mind consciousness's wisdom long ago knew that the breath and the body are arising, ceasing, and impermanent—it knew this when studying the Dharma—but that knowing does not play a decisive role. Only at the end of contemplation can the manas's knowing play the decisive role—it is true wisdom. As long as the mind maintains this knowing, with time and deep practice, wisdom will arise, and one will see the true reality of dharmas; this knowing, from the knowing of ignorance, becomes the knowing of enlightenment.
XII. Contemplating the Body as Impure
Where do all the waste and wastewater produced over a lifetime by all sentient beings on Earth ultimately go? According to the law of conservation of matter or conservation of mass, this waste and wastewater also has a source—where does it come from? If in a future life one is reborn on Earth, where does everything one uses come from? After being used, it all becomes waste, wastewater, and garbage—and where does this garbage go?
Quite a few people have mysophobia and love cleanliness dearly, but where does the water we drink daily come from? What kind of water is it? Where does the food we eat daily come from? What are its ingredients? Where does the kitchen waste left over after eating ultimately go? Every country has sewage treatment plants and waste recycling stations—what are the water treated by factories and the recycled garbage used for? For example, if a basin of dirty water is poured onto the ground, how does this water disappear from the ground? Where does it disappear to? Industrial wastewater and domestic sewage can only be partially evaporated; the other part remains on Earth, being recycled and reused by humans—even drunk into the stomach. The evaporated part, when it rains, returns to the Earth and is used again. In short, these four great material elements are used again by humans in various forms and enter the material body.
Therefore, contemplating the body as impure is very easy to observe: both inside and outside the body is impure. Although quite a few people have mysophobia, no one's body, inside or out, is clean. Sentient beings all crave their own bodies and the material bodies of other kinds of sentient beings, and even eat the flesh of sentient beings—there is truly no reason in this; the flesh body is too filthy. How much garbage one produces in this life—if in a future life one returns to Earth, one will have to use this garbage again, and even make one's descendants use it together. Sentient beings all love life and are very fond of the material body and the six sense objects, but these are all extremely filthy and undesirable—what is there to crave? Or perhaps one likes a certain kind of mind, but the mind is also defiled, full of afflictions—what is there to grasp?
