Four Mindfulness Foundations Observational Practice Experience
Chapter 2: Contemplative Practice Journal (2)
Eight: Contemplative practice only bears fruit naturally through persistent perseverance
Lantian's contemplative practice diary: In the evening I sat on the cushion and did ten minutes of active deep breathing. Before finishing the deep breathing, I gradually developed a sensation of qi. Afterwards I contemplated the breath entering at the nose. On the fourth inhalation, I felt the qi mechanism in the dantian stir, and the abdominal muscles began to twitch irregularly. As I slowly inhaled and exhaled, the abdominal twitching increased. After one inhalation I paused and waited motionlessly; the abdominal muscles began to contract rhythmically, causing the abdomen to continue expanding, while also drawing the chest and ribs outward. The airflow kept being drawn in through the nasal cavity until the abdominal muscles felt swollen, and on exhalation the air naturally flowed out. In this way I entered deep breathing, while the mind continued to attend to the breathing at the nose root. After about ten minutes, near the end of one inhalation, the muscles of the lower abdomen began to contract, and I felt the airflow surge downward again, as if reaching the very bottom. The chest and abdomen were like an air chamber, with airflow entering and leaving. This continued until the end of the meditation session.
During today's deep breathing, the abdomen was much hotter than before; when inhaling it filled with air, and when exhaling I felt the abdominal muscles draw together, and the abdomen felt very comfortable. During this time there were very few wandering thoughts; unless I deliberately thought about something, no other wandering thoughts flashed through the mind. After the meditation ended, I continued sitting on the bed, breathing slowly. At that moment a fellow practitioner in the group chat initiated a conversation about the feelings of meditation. After talking for a while I could no longer speak, because while speaking, due to momentum, the dantian was still strongly exhaling and inhaling, making it impossible to continue speaking, so I rested.
Assessment: If you persist in contemplating the breath every day, meditative concentration will get better and better, the mind will become increasingly refined and focused, and observation will become increasingly detailed; and the more detailed the observation, the more focused the mind and the better the concentration—this is a virtuous cycle. However, once the practice becomes fully proficient, the observed phenomena no longer show any new changes, and it feels as if one's cultivation is making no progress and has stagnated. At this point a divergence occurs: some people will feel bored and that it is meaningless, and gradually develop a psychology of weariness and regression. In fact, as long as you persist, the practice is constantly improving; in the early stage it is quite obvious, while in the later stage it is merely not obvious. It is like being in shallow water, where everything one does is clearly revealed; but once one walks into deep water, everything one does is no longer apparent.
Once you understand this principle, you must overcome this psychology of boredom and not give up halfway. The better the practice, the less apparent it is; do not mind the apparent stagnation. This is merely a moment that tests a person's patience. Only those with patience and unyielding perseverance can ascend to the summit.
Nine: To enter meditative concentration quickly, one can do preliminary guidance
Lantian's contemplative practice diary: Day thirty-one of contemplating the breath. Before taking my seat, I gave myself a suggestion: in today's meditation I will not think, will reduce thinking, will also set down all matters unrelated to meditation, and will let the mind attend only to the breath. After sitting down, I used active abdominal deep breathing. Today I placed my attention on the lower abdomen; slowly the abdomen became somewhat warm. After about five minutes, I gradually developed some sensation of qi, the deep breathing became effortless, the lower abdominal muscles twitched, and it felt as if the qi mechanism was about to stir. After about ten minutes, I stopped the active abdominal deep breathing.
Then I began to contemplate the breath at the nose. Today, unlike the previous days, I did not shift to natural breathing, but used consciousness to slowly guide the abdominal breathing. After just a few breaths, the qi mechanism in the lower abdomen stirred and I entered deep abdominal breathing directly. At this point the mind was placed solely on the breath, while simultaneously perceiving the sensations of the whole body, minimizing analytical thinking activity. Because the mind was concentrated, the breathing was natural, deep, and fine, and the amplitude of the breath was even greater than in active deep breathing; the airflow passed through the chest, upper abdomen, and middle abdomen straight down to the bottom of the abdomen, until the end of the meditation session.
During the contemplation of the breath, the mind was concentrated, the object of contemplation was clear, and the breathing was even, deep, and fine. In the middle portion of the meditation, I suddenly felt a very distinct cool sensation on the outside of the right hip; before the meditation ended, the right ear continuously had a cool, refreshing feeling (the right ear had been hot and swollen for two months previously due to internal heat).
Assessment: In cultivating concentration, one can do preparatory practices, actively adjusting the state of body and mind and guiding them into a state relatively suitable for entering concentration; then the mind will settle down and enter concentration. In active guidance, the mind's attention is concentrated on one thing, interested only in that one thing, screening out other objects of attention—this in itself is wisdom, and also concentration. In the process of cultivating concentration, one should fully exercise wisdom, using wisdom to lead concentration, combining concentration and wisdom; then entering concentration will be very fast. Some people, when cultivating concentration, force it without using wisdom, and as a result find it very difficult to enter concentration. Others only use the wisdom of the mind consciousness to analyze and deliberate, yet never enter concentration at all. Both of these approaches to practice are one-sided, do not follow the Middle Way, and cannot give rise to meditative absorption (samādhi).
Ten: Manifestations when the Dharma teachings permeate the manas
Lantian's contemplative practice journal: Last night in meditation I contemplated the breath; the breathing was fairly smooth, the chest and abdomen warm and comfortable. As the contemplation of the breath continued, I perceived the warm current of the breath continuously spreading through the body, extending from the abdomen gradually toward the back, and finally the warm current poured into the back of the head. The breathing became smoother and smoother, the qi channels unobstructed, and what was before my eyes clear; there were few wandering thoughts, and my attention was concentrated on the sensations of the whole body. So I prepared to contemplate the Dharma teachings, and in my mind there actively flashed "form is impermanent, form is without self." At that moment, suddenly all the muscles of my body tensed, the breathing deepened sharply, and the body twisted with the muscular contractions. This state lasted about two minutes, and then gradually returned to calm.
Afterwards I continued contemplating the breath and perceiving the sensations of the whole body. After the earlier tension and contraction of the whole body's muscles, the body's channels opened further, especially the head, which became even more unobstructed. After contemplating in this way for a period of time, the head was clear and there was peace before my eyes, so I again actively flashed "form is impermanent, form is without self" in my mind. This time the whole body still reacted, but not as intensely. I slowly contemplated in front of me the specific Dharma meaning of form being without self; during the contemplation the mind was concentrated, without wandering thoughts, without any agitation or unprovoked disturbance—peaceful and deep. Before long the alarm rang and I came down from the cushion. This morning when I sat, I contemplated the breath throughout, without contemplating or deliberating on Dharma teachings; the body's channels were unobstructed, and I remained enjoying the pleasure throughout the whole body.
November 19, 2021
Assessment: When the thought "form is impermanent" appeared, the muscles of the whole body tensed and the body twisted—this was the manas being stirred by "form is impermanent." Previously, when the Dharma of impermanence had not stirred the manas, there was no such shaking phenomenon. Many Dharma meanings understood by the mind consciousness, when they have not yet permeated the manas, do not stir body and mind; only when the manas squarely faces a Dharma meaning does the shaking appear. Only after continuing contemplative practice and investigation can the manas realize it, and then meditative absorption or the purity of the Dharma eye will follow. Shock, astonishment, panic, bewilderment, and other such deep-level psychological activities are all manifestations of the manas being stirred.
When contemplating the breath, one should wholeheartedly experience the impermanence of the breath; when experiencing it, do not deliberate—just observe objectively, without deliberately bringing up the meditation topic "form is impermanent." Contemplative practice of the four foundations of mindfulness to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) naturally proceeds from the entry point of the breath to experience the impermanence of form and the impermanence of the body, and then from the contemplation of feeling, the contemplation of mind, and the contemplation of dharmas, to objectively experience the impermanence of mind and the impermanence of dharmas, thereby eradicating the view of self. When the practice matures, one observes and experiences naturally; one does not deliberately flash up Dharma questions different from the current contemplation. This is natural realization of the fruit, realization of the fruit by the manas.
Contemplative practice is also called direct-perception observation: whatever dharma is present now, observe that dharma; whatever state the dharma is in, observe those states as they truly are. Contemplating the breath, just observe the breath as it truly is, observe the breath in direct perception; the scene of the breath simply presents itself before you. As for how the manas recognizes it and what conclusions it draws, that is the manas's business. Form is impermanent, the body is impermanent—one should let the manas itself draw this conclusion and let Him confirm it Himself, without the mind consciousness reminding Him. The mind consciousness is only responsible for presenting the phenomena truthfully to the manas; everything else is the manas's business. Do not be anxious on the manas's behalf, do not make decisions on the manas's behalf; whoever's problem it is, that one solves it—helping is useless. The result of this is direct, real realization, without sentiment or intellectual interpretation, without inference, deduction, imagination, or conjecture.
Eleven: Contemplative practice can give rise to the power of awareness and the power of introspection (pratyavekṣā-bala)
Rutao's contemplative practice diary: When I was in elementary school, every time after running, my left waist would get a stitch; the doctor diagnosed it as intestinal spasm. Later, after meditating for a long time, I discovered it was a channel at the tailbone pulling on the intestines, causing discomfort throughout the lower body. At the beginning of this year, I participated in the bigu (fasting) retreat organized by my teacher, fasting for ten days, and this ailment improved considerably. During this period, through meditation, the qi channels in my body have been continuously running, impacting, and adjusting; the locations of soreness, swelling, and pain have also repeatedly shifted. Now the channels at the left waist and hip have finally become unobstructed; no matter how I sway in ocean-swaying practice or bend and hunch, there is no more pulling pain.
Regular meditation can make the body's energy abundant and cultivate the power of awareness and observation, so after taking my seat I quickly enter the state: coarse wandering thoughts grow faint, the mind is soft and pliant, and I feel very light. It is like riding an electric scooter: the state of riding with a full battery and the state of riding with insufficient battery are completely different things—the former is extremely light, the latter extremely weak, dragging along. Because the energy differs, the pure mind is energy, and the power of awareness is also energy. Meditating to cultivate concentration and wisdom is just like charging a battery.
Place the mind consciousness's "knowing" in the deepest part of the mind, and use this "knowing" to continuously illuminate; then the inner defilements and turbid heaviness will continuously be cleaned away. This is my current method of practice. This "knowing" is also used to rein in the grasping of the manas and the mind consciousness. It is like catching a small animal: you cannot just grab any part of it, such as its tail or belly—that will not work; you cannot hold it, and it will instead scratch and bite you. You must grab it by the scruff of its neck, and then it will be docile and motionless. This technique for subduing wandering thoughts may differ for each person; everyone must grope for it themselves and find the method best suited to them.
Assessment: Meditative concentration can pull the mind back from external states so that it no longer attends to the outside; the mind converges back and can then focus on perceiving one's own inner mind. Only thus can one introspect and reflect on one's own mind, discover the afflictions and habits of one's own mind, and detect the various deficiencies and gaps in one's own mind; consciously or unconsciously one will then correct these shortcomings, remedy the deficiencies, become humble and prudent, and improve one's moral cultivation. Some people specifically take the lamp and shine it outward on others, not knowing to shine it inward on themselves. Shining on oneself is cultivating oneself and increasing merit; shining on others is gossip, disputes, and afflictions, depleting merit. The darkest place is under the lamp—and that is your mind.
When meditative concentration is good, energy is abundant and body and mind are tranquil and at ease; the mind will soften, the mind's capacity will open, embracing others and circumstances, no longer treating people as enemies or foes, living in harmony and joy; emotional intelligence improves and interpersonal relationships improve. Always carrying a "knowing," concentration improves, the mind becomes increasingly refined and increasingly still, thinking becomes increasingly deep, wisdom grows increasingly, afflictions naturally settle more and more until gradually eliminated, karmic obstructions are also gradually eliminated, and the obstacles to cultivation diminish. This is a process of being reborn and transformed, a process of comprehensively correcting oneself. Without this process, it is impossible to transition from an ordinary person to one oriented toward the srotāpanna fruit and to a srotāpanna; do not imagine becoming a sage out of thin air.
Twelve: Contemplative practice is like a hitching post, for tethering the horse of the manas
Lantian's contemplative practice journal: I took my seat and used active deep abdominal breathing, inhaling to the maximum, pausing briefly, then exhaling to the maximum, then pausing briefly again. After about half an hour of deep breathing, I could feel a distinct sensation of qi, and then slowly shifted to natural abdominal breathing.
Following the sutra text of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutra, during the breathing I no longer thought about other things, but constantly maintained knowing of the breath. Only then did I discover that my thoughts would pop up from time to time; sometimes it was truly difficult to control and keep thoughts from arising. The main content of the thoughts was the faces of people I had recently been in frequent contact with; the more contact with them, the more strongly their faces appeared. Now I understand why the ancients, when cultivating, all avoided crowded places. This may be what is called the manas's grasping nature and habitual nature. Near the end of the meditation, the brain slowly began to feel somewhat clear. Today's meditation felt mediocre; the mind was not very still, and during meditation the images of people I frequently contact inexplicably flashed up; the natural abdominal breathing was not very deep and long.
Assessment: This fully demonstrates the manas's imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) and its grasping nature—its attachment to states it has previously encountered; whether meaningful or meaningless, it attends to and clings to them all, unwilling to let the mind rest. To subdue this wild horse, you must tether it to the post of the breath. At first it will jump and buck wildly, but after a long time it will get used to it and quiet down, and begin to attend to and study the post and the scenery around the post. Then things become easy—this is called getting on the Path.
Thirteen: Only through persistent contemplative practice can one's skill continuously improve
Ruben's contemplative practice journal: These two days in meditation, each session I first do full lotus for 25 minutes, the body begins to warm up, and then I switch to half lotus. Now my right leg is softer than before. I feel that the mental power in full lotus is somewhat more effective than in half lotus. Currently I still focus mainly on cultivating śamatha; after taking my seat the mind can settle down. I have recognized the importance of "sharpening the axe does not delay the cutting of firewood," and no longer crave any feelings or results, so I am no longer impatient. I can settle my heart and start from the feet, starting from the breath.
When sitting, I still first regulate the breath: first inhale deeply into the abdomen, then slowly exhale, regulating for several minutes while relaxing. Then I slowly, word by word, silently recite the Heart Sutra; once reaching the state of śamatha-vipaśyanā, I contemplate the breath for a little while. When I feel bored, a scattered, restless desire arises in the mind; then I introspect and see that this mind is merely a function of awareness, that this "self" has no place of dependence, is unattainable internally and externally, illusory like a dream, with no one existing at all. Then in this state there is no more craving, the mind settles and does not move, and there is no desire to contemplate either. After 45 minutes, when the legs begin to ache and throb with pain, I persist in enduring the sensations for a while, and come down after an hour, not wanting to continue.
Assessment: In contemplative practice, it is normal for the state of the physical body and the state of the mind to rise and fall; the key is persistence—in the end it becomes steady with no fluctuations. At that point the contemplative practice will be firm; one will have a clear understanding and perception of the breath being contemplated, and also a clear understanding of the other bodily phenomena induced by contemplating the breath, no longer entering into states. Only by being able to leap outside the states, separating mind and matter, and looking down upon the physical body, can one have an understanding in accord with reality, see clearly the true facts of the physical body, and gradually perceive the emptiness (śūnyatā) of the body's arising, ceasing, and change. This perception is not forcibly implanted by the mind consciousness, not guided by the mind consciousness; it is the manas's objective, sober perception, an unemotional, rational cognition.
Only rational cognition can last and function, can transform body and mind, transform one's attitude toward the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), and enable one to view and handle the problems of the five aggregates objectively. With sustained practice in this way, even eradicating the view of self is possible. Practicing slowly like this, one comes to know what role the mind consciousness plays in it and what role the manas plays in it. One will then see how childish and laughable the mistaken, irrational view of "consciousness realizing the fruit" is. Some people, seeing the records in the Buddhist sutras of bhikṣus realizing the fruit within minutes of hearing the Dharma, think that they too can quickly realize the fruit without cultivating the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment and without cultivating concentration—what an ignorant and laughable notion.
Those who realized the fruit within minutes of hearing the Buddha teach the Dharma had done a great deal of cultivation work in past lives and this life; their thirty-seven factors of enlightenment were complete, their roots of goodness and merit were complete, the conditions for obtaining the Dharma were complete, and the Buddha's empowering power was great. They did not realize the fruit by reaping without sowing or getting a bargain; they paid a considerable price. Our diligent practice now of the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness is precisely cultivating the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, cultivating precepts, concentration, and wisdom together, striving to cultivate roots of goodness and merit, not taking shortcuts, advancing steadily, laying a solid foundation—when all the various conditions are complete, one can eradicate the view of self.
Fourteen: The non-Buddhist methods of cultivating the body can also be borrowed for cultivating the body
Gai's experience of contemplating the breath: The state throughout this session was much clearer than last night. Natural breathing, air entering and leaving through the left nostril; the inhalation was deep and somewhat long, the exhalation clear and gentle and slightly shorter, with a longer pause after exhaling. The passage from the left nostril to the throat was dry; the sound was loud on inhalation and small on exhalation. I tried contemplating/visualizing fire descending on the right and water rising on the left; when visualizing, the breathing became very faint, without the above phenomena. When I adjusted my attention back to the breath, the above breathing state returned. Meditation and contemplative practice should preferably not be done when tired or sleepy, otherwise one easily becomes muddled and unclear. Yet last night after coming down from the cushion, when I lay down, I naturally and clearly began contemplating the breath.
Assessment: Here the Daoist method of the Taiji Eight Trigrams diagram was used. Because the bodies of Buddhist practitioners and non-Buddhists have the same structure, with no difference, when regulating the body one can borrow non-Buddhist methods; after all, they are rich in experience. Whatever is useful for one's own cultivation, just take it and use it—the cat that catches mice is a good cat. Non-Buddhists all cultivate meditative concentration, and concentration is after all useful for cultivating the body, the mind, and wisdom, so we should cultivate concentration. There is no need to deliberately display oneself as different from non-Buddhists, as if superior to them; if one's meditative concentration is inferior to the non-Buddhists', one's afflictions will be heavier than theirs, and one will be ridiculed for it.
Seventeen: How to transform wandering thoughts into wisdom
Wushi's contemplative practice journal: These few days in meditation, I deliberately observed how those wandering thoughts arise. The mind consciousness did not think of them, yet the wandering thoughts popped up anyway—it was the mind consciousness having gone off to something else; this is the manas grasping. If the manas does not grasp, wandering thoughts will not appear. Especially matters one usually pays attention to, matters of interest—at night in meditation they more easily pop up. So whether one can keep the mind tranquil during the day is very important; if the mind is tranquil, wandering thoughts do not easily arise. Therefore, when dealing with matters during the day, one should engage with matters without letting them enter the heart, letting them pass without leaving a trace; then the mind is relatively easy to keep tranquil, and not so many wandering thoughts will appear.
Of course, deliberately suppressing oneself from letting matters enter the heart when facing matters and states has little effect; subduing afflictions cannot rely on suppression alone. One must be good at transforming thoughts: when encountering a matter, deliberate—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 more in these directions; once the deliberation is clear, the afflictions dissolve, and only then can one keep people, matters, and things from entering the heart so deeply, reducing or even eliminating the manas's preoccupation with matters and states.
Assessment: Wandering thoughts arise from the manas's grasping and clinging. The manas's grasping (upādāna) toward the world of the five aggregates is extremely stubborn and obstinate; its grasping of the six sense objects is also extremely tenacious, hardly ceasing for a moment—even after falling asleep it is so, to the point that the mind cannot be tranquil, wisdom cannot arise, and afflictions cannot be eradicated. Subduing the manas's grasping nature is extremely difficult; one can only redirect the manas's object of grasping, shift its attention, let it attend to a more meaningful dharma, fix it on one dharma; only then will its mental activity become somewhat simple. This is the method of using a wedge to remove a wedge; finally, when the wedge is pulled out, the mind will empty. Recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), reciting mantras, reciting sutras—all are methods of using a wedge to remove a wedge; breath-counting contemplation, white-bone contemplation, contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness, and so on—all are methods of using a wedge to remove a wedge. As long as the manas can concentrate, exclusively deliberating (manasikāra) on one dharma, wisdom can arise.
When wandering thoughts proliferate, do not rush to eliminate them; watch them, observe them, seek their place of origin, and you will discover that wandering thoughts come from nowhere and go nowhere, without root, like duckweed. So there is no need at all to counteract them; give them a new object of attention, give Him a new important task, let Him be occupied with one thing, and the mind will settle into purity, and wisdom can appear. Originally the manas had no wisdom precisely because He grasped too much, attended to too many dharmas, and could not deliberate with focus, so He could not see clearly any principle or matter, and of course had no wisdom. Therefore, to obtain wisdom, one must cultivate concentration, settle the manas down, face only one problem, one dharma—then the problem can be solved, and the great matter of birth and death can also be solved.
Eighteen: How correct contemplative practice should be done
Rutao's contemplative practice diary: Currently I enter shallow concentration fairly quickly. In sitting, I raise a "knowing," following the breath, illuminating within the mind, illuminating, illuminating... Before long, with a click, the mind seems to flow into the stream; instantly pure, the mind also becomes pure and bright. No need to deliberately deal with wandering thoughts. The physical body, sensations, wandering thoughts—all are arising-and-ceasing illusions, empty, not bondage; just illuminate them, no need to counteract them; they empty themselves.
As the Heart Sutra says: “观自在菩萨,行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄。舍利子,色不异空,空不异色,色即是空,空即是色，受想行识,亦复如是。” In the past I only knew how to recite it, not how to use it; now in training, using it, I seem to have found a bit of the feel. The five aggregates are not obstacles, no need to deal with them; just remember that they are arising-and-ceasing illusions. Just keep illuminating them and let them be; illuminate long enough and the five aggregates will empty themselves—the body and wandering thoughts will automatically empty. This is what I currently know.
Sitting cross-legged is only a form. I have also tried sitting in a chair, lying on the bed, raising a "knowing," illuminating within the mind, proceeding this way, and can also enter fairly shallow concentration. In meditation, full lotus, half lotus, or loose crossing are all fine; the key is the method of using the mind—with the right method, one can enter.
Assessment: When the mind is not still, there are many objects of attention within; but we have a goal—contemplating the breath is the primary goal, one might even say the sole task. Grasp the main matter, grasp the great matter, and only then can the task be completed with quality and quantity guaranteed. Do not chase after thoughts other than the breath; those are all unimportant. Thoughts come and go, never staying; even if you try to keep them, they cannot be kept. Just do the proper work without distraction. The mind attends only to the breath, like lamplight shining only on the breath; all the surrounding bodily thoughts and miscellaneous thoughts are then not in the mind—they vanish, empty. And on the breath, one will discover phenomena one could not discover before—that is, the truth, the facts. As for what truth and facts these are, each person experiences it for themselves in the course of practice; what each person discovers may differ somewhat, but the final result is the same by different routes: realizing the emptiness of the five aggregates and non-self.
In contemplative practice, the specific posture does not matter; walking, standing, sitting, lying down—all should be contemplative practice, combining movement and stillness, each enhancing the other. But sitting cross-legged has its benefits: it can promote smoother circulation of qi and blood, greater harmony of the physical body, a more still mind, and more concentrated thought. Afterwards, combined with walking and physical activity, the circulation of qi and blood is fully regulated, running throughout the body, which is even more beneficial to the body, and the mind will be purer.
Nineteen: How to practice contemplation to achieve ideal results
Ruben's contemplative practice journal: These two days in meditation I have contemplated the breath at the nostrils, focusing mainly on cultivating śamatha and training the legs. No special states; my right leg is a bit softer than before. Each session I sit in full lotus for about half an hour and then switch to half lotus, or sit half lotus for 50 minutes and then switch to the other leg; it is no longer especially painful, and an hour no longer feels very long. After coming down from the cushion, going out during the day, I constantly maintain the intention of being an outsider, watching how this body actually moves—using that mind without language, thinking, or inference, to watch, listen, and know myself and others opening mouths to speak or chewing food, or smiling showing teeth, or eyes turning, or raising hands and lifting legs as they walk past.
One must not say in the mind, "this is the function of the manas, this is the function of the mind consciousness, this is the function of the ear consciousness, this is the function of the body consciousness," and so on to analyze. One must adopt the outsider's attitude: not helping or participating, not helping to analyze. Only thus can that detached inner eye arise, watching from the side the process of change of body and mind. Within this, the mind consciousness's activity is very subtle; only by experiencing it can one understand. Sometimes at some moment I also turn back to introspect: what is this mind that cognizes like? How exactly do body and mind operate in correspondence? I just hold this questioning doubt, and definitely do not think or infer; moreover, I feel that as soon as thinking and inference are added, the desire and strength to keep experiencing and investigating disappear.
I increasingly feel that my power of concentration is still lacking; sometimes when I talk with people too much, I easily lose the power of awareness, habits are not easily controlled, and I often need to return to the breath to settle. I increasingly feel the importance of cultivating concentration, and feel the difference between experience and knowledge.
Assessment: In contemplative practice, try to maintain a simple knowing; do not deliberately add the subjective thinking and analysis of consciousness, do not have conscious subjective ideas, do not bring in any preconceptions. Settle the mind, let go of the mind; all matters are silently attended to and managed by the manas—trust the master. Sometimes having much knowledge is also a burden, obstructing the manas's own deliberation and observation, making it impossible to see the truth and facts clearly, and impossible to realize them directly. All kinds of successful people in society are not necessarily those with much knowledge, but those with deep, subtle thinking and original insights—people whose manas has wisdom, people who do much actual practice, not those who indulge in empty fantasies of the brain or empty talk of the mouth; empty talk often ruins a country.
