The Mystery of Zen Meditation

In the investigation of all dharmas, it begins with the mental faculty (manas) cooperating with the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) in analytical thinking, assisting the consciousness in gathering various data and information. Once the consciousness has collected relatively sufficient data for the mental faculty to utilize, the consciousness must then cooperate with the mental faculty's deep deliberation, assist in its processing and integration work, and coordinate with its examination and filtering work. This allows the mental faculty to exert more mental effort while the consciousness becomes less active, enabling the investigative work to be completed swiftly.

To make the consciousness engage less in active thinking and the mental faculty engage more in deliberation, one must cultivate concentration (dhyāna). Only within concentration can the mental faculty's dedicated investigation be ensured. Although it cannot be completely fixed on a single point, being able to fixate on a very few dharmas is sufficient. Apart from the Dharma principles requiring focused investigation, other matters need only be slightly discerned so as not to interfere with one's own inquiry. Therefore, Chan (Zen) practice must occur within concentration. The consciousness must not indulge in mental interpretations and emotional reasoning; instead, one must mobilize the deliberative function of the mental faculty extensively, fully and effectively utilizing its capacity for contemplation to personally realize the Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature). This is the profound secret of Chan investigation. Consequently, if the mental faculty does not realize the Dharma, it is impossible to attain clarity of mind and enlightenment (bodhi), and equally impossible to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi). Investigating within concentration involves using the thinking of the consciousness relatively little while mobilizing the deliberative function of the mental faculty extensively. This is precisely why enlightenment is more readily attainable; it is the profound secret of Chan investigation.