Investigating the Huatou Is a Method of Cultivating Meditative Concentration

Question: When observing the huatou, is it the mind consciousness that observes, or the manas? If it is the mind consciousness observing, transmitting this to the manas so that the manas's mental activity tends toward singularity, no longer or rarely grasping at things, gradually gathering the mind at one point. The manas also has discernment, reducing its grasping, and the mind consciousness becomes unified. At this point, if merit is complete and conditions converge, suddenly there is a moment of resonance, recognizing that the tathāgatagarbha is the true master — is this the roadmap of investigating Chan and seeing the mind?

Answer: That is correct. Observing the huatou is a method of cultivating meditative concentration; the purpose of cultivating concentration is to make the mind consciousness unified, not scattering one's energy, so as to deliberate and investigate with focused intensity. However, the content that the mind consciousness discerns, and the content of its deliberation and investigation, are all directed by the manas; if the manas not only attends to the huatou but also attends to many dharmas, being interested in many dharmas, then the manas directs its attention (manasikāra) and deliberation toward many dharmas, and the tathāgatagarbha will give rise to the mind consciousness to discern the many dharmas toward which the manas has directed its attention and deliberation. Then, with the mind consciousness discerning so much content, can it still be unified? Then it cannot be unified, and there can be no meditative concentration.

Investigating the huatou has the purpose of making the manas attend only to the huatou, no longer or rarely grasping at other dharmas, allowing the mind consciousness to achieve singularity of mind. Cultivating concentration, on the surface, is cultivating the mind consciousness, but in reality it is still subduing the manas, making the manas not attend to too many dharmas. Investigating the huatou is, as much as possible, tethering the manas to the huatou; in this way the mind consciousness settles into concentration. When the mind consciousness has concentration, its deliberation becomes deep and subtle; when the mind consciousness has perfumed the manas, at that time the manas also corresponds to the huatou and participates in deliberating on the huatou. If investigating the huatou penetrates deeply into the manas, so that the manas forms the habit of treating investigating the huatou as a task that must be done, then even in the state of sleep the manas will continue to work, making the mind consciousness investigate the huatou even in dreams; and it will make the mind consciousness investigate the huatou whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. When the mind consciousness's concentration is deep and its deliberation is minimal, the manas's function becomes prominent, secretly attending to the huatou without interruption; when causes and conditions and the proper season are complete, one can realize the tathāgatagarbha, see the mind and attain realization. If the concentration is shallow, the mind consciousness's function is dominant, and the manas participates little or not at all; then there tends to be much emotional sentiment and intellectual understanding, with a large component of mere intellectual comprehension. Everything comes down to the manas. The mind consciousness is conditionally arisen; the manas universally imputes and grasps (parikalpita); the tathāgatagarbha is without knowing or perceiving. The manas's universal imputation and grasping causes its wisdom to be covered in dust and unable to manifest; only by making its mental activity unified, not grasping or grasping little, can accomplishment be achieved. Therefore, cultivating meditative concentration is extremely important.