Cultivating Samādhi in Activity through the Śūraṅgama Mantra

Question: Using the spacing-out state to cultivate the power of meditative concentration in motion is indeed a skillful means, but most people find it difficult to sustain. This disciple's experience is to use the spacing-out state as an entry point, then not let language and words appear in the mind, watching over it and maintaining it; through gradual training, the duration of the spacing-out state will lengthen. Isn't this actually watching the huatou?

Answer: This state is precisely the state without language and words. At first, the time one can remain in it is short; through continuous training, the duration can be extended, the power of meditative concentration can deepen, and investigating will then be more effective.

This state is not merely similar to watching the huatou; it actually is investigating the huatou. In investigating, there is the function of the manas's deliberation (manasikāra), with the mind consciousness doing less analysis, or no analysis, cooperating with the manas's deliberation, shifting the task of deliberation onto the manas's shoulders, letting the manas bear some of it. Then, when the conditions of a certain season and circumstance correspond, the manas and the mind consciousness simultaneously realize the Dharma. If it is not done this way—after the mind consciousness has thought it through and analyzed, and then hands it over to the manas—the manas will not necessarily accept and acknowledge it; within a short time the manas absolutely cannot accept and acknowledge it, because this is not the manas's direct-perception discernment, and the mind consciousness has not brought out all the evidence either, so it is not complete direct-perception discernment either. The manas will therefore not accord with it, and thus the Dharma cannot be realized.

Although the manas's wisdom is not strong, being much lower than that of the mind consciousness, He is the master consciousness. For all dharmas, the manas has the final say and makes the decisions; if He does not nod to a matter, it does not count. It is like the head of a household who, although his wisdom is somewhat lower than that of the other family members, decides all the family's affairs. If you want this person to accept and decide on a matter, you must persuade Him with all kinds of convincing reasons and evidence; once He believes it, He can then decide. The best way is to let Him personally understand the matter, be present at the scene, and see it with His own eyes—faced with the facts, He sees it at a glance, believes it on the spot, and then readily makes the choice, makes the decision, and acknowledges the matter.