Exposition on Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva’s Dharma Gate of Perfect Penetration through the Faculty of Hearing

(2) The state entered is quiescence. The conscious mind flows inward, reaching the point where sound arises. Yet at this point of arising, there is no sound, no clamor—it is utterly silent. Firstly, on the level of principle, the Tathāgatagarbha is quiescent. Secondly, the state within meditative concentration (dhyāna) is quiescent, devoid of the sense-object of sound. This encompasses both principle and phenomena, perfectly fused.

The dual characteristics of movement and stillness are clearly non-arising. Firstly, this refers to principle: after entering samādhi, one perceives that the Tathāgatagarbha fundamentally lacks the dual characteristics of movement and stillness; it belongs neither to movement nor to stillness, being devoid of the dual sense-object appearances of sound (movement and stillness), hence it is quiescent. Secondly, it refers to the phenomenon—the meditative concentration (dhyāna): within this state of concentration, the dual characteristics of movement and stillness are absent; one is aware of neither the characteristic of movement nor the characteristic of stillness. This signifies entry into a state of concentration at the second dhyāna level or above. Without the five sense consciousnesses, the ear consciousness does not manifest, so one does not perceive the two sound-sense-objects of movement and stillness. While it is said that movement and stillness are clearly non-arising, in reality, the dual characteristics of movement and stillness exist; it is merely that the ear consciousness is absent to discern them, and the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) cannot discern them alone. Therefore, it is said that in concentration states of the second dhyāna and above, the dual characteristics of movement and stillness are clearly non-arising.

Thus, gradually increasing, the hearing and the heard are exhausted. Firstly, this refers to the gradual deepening of the wisdom state on the level of principle. Secondly, it refers to the gradual deepening of the state of meditative concentration on the level of phenomena. After the wisdom state on the level of principle advances, one understands that the conscious mind which hears the sound-sense-object is the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha; there is no real conscious mind ‘I’ that hears the sound-sense-object. Simultaneously, one understands that the heard sound-sense-object is also the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha, transformed by it, without being a real sound-sense-object. Thus, the mind is no longer hindered by the duality of the perceiver (conscious mind) and the perceived (sound-sense-object); the sense of reality of the hearer and the heard is extinguished, and the mind becomes empty and pure. After the state of meditative concentration on the level of phenomena advances, the hearing ear consciousness is extinguished, the heard sound-sense-object is extinguished, and one enters a profound state of concentration at the second dhyāna level or above.

Exhausting hearing, one does not abide. Although at this point, both on the level of principle and through practical cultivation, the hearer and the heard have been extinguished, the wisdom state and meditative concentration state of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva did not stop here; they did not remain in this place and become complacent. Through deeper practice, one enters even more profound states of samādhi.

The perceiver and the perceived are empty. Above the second dhyāna, the five sense consciousnesses no longer exist, therefore one is unaware of the objects of the five sense fields. However, the mental consciousness still exists, yet it also cannot independently discern the objects of the five sense fields; it can only correspond to the mental object (dharmadhātu) of the meditative state. This mental consciousness is extremely subtle, almost imperceptible, with little sense of the six sense-objects. But upon emerging from concentration, the mental consciousness knows that it was just in the second dhyāna, knows it attained a certain level of concentration, and experiences mental joy—a sense of inner pleasure and mental freshness. Since the mental consciousness exists in states above the second dhyāna, this consciousness is the perceiving mind. At this point, on the level of principle, one realizes that this perceiving mental consciousness is not real, lacks substantial existence, is transformed by the Tathāgatagarbha, and is of the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha. Furthermore, the perceived state of concentration and the mental joy are also without true reality; they are the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha, transformed by it.

On the level of phenomena, the state of concentration will advance from the second dhyāna to the fourth dhyāna level or above, reaching the purity of equanimity and mindfulness (upekṣā-smṛti-śuddhi), where the mental consciousness lacks subtle perception. The perceiving aspect of the mental consciousness is also emptied, and the perceived state of concentration is emptied, enabling entry into the four formless absorptions (ārūpyasamāpatti).

The above explanation is a preliminary understanding. Without actual practice and experiential realization, it cannot practically guide practitioners. It is provided only as a rough reference to fulfill the requests of many.