Within the Samadhi of Vitarka and Vicāra, Perfectly Practicing Chan Meditation

Question: In a state of shallow concentration (dhyāna), when consciousness (vijñāna) and the mental faculty (manas) are maintained in a sharp state of "vicāra" (investigation), in this acute state of vicāra, one feels faintly able to "see" one's own body and keenly perceive subtle events occurring within tens of meters around. The state of consciousness in vicāra is: both consciousness and the mental faculty are highly focused, passively perceiving events happening around, but the conscious mind does not deliberately attend to or cognitively process the events; it merely knows that the event is occurring, similar to a state of "observing coldly without stirring mental activity." Is this state in accordance with the Dharma?

Answer: The state of vicāra is certainly concentration (samādhi), and it is not shallow concentration. The state of vitarka (initial inquiry) is also concentration, but it is shallow because the mind moves more. In the state of vicāra, the mind is unmoving yet aware. Prolonged dwelling in this awareness leads to wisdom-based cognition regarding the known, enabling one to see through the dharmas that are known, to know dharmas as empty (śūnya). Then the mind becomes empty, thereby reaching the state of upekkhā (equanimity). Both vitarka and vicāra have an object and are characterized by single-pointedness (ekaggatā), which is necessary for the emergence of meditative absorption (dhyāna). Some states of dhyāna lack wisdom (prajñā), while others contain wisdom. Wisdom arises in dhyāna when there is an object of focus (ālambana); otherwise, there is no wisdom, and it is pure concentration. Both vitarka and vicāra are states of clear and bright concentration (śuddha-samādhi) and belong to right concentration (samyak-samādhi). However, in the vitarka stage, the concentration is shallow with more mental movement and insufficient stillness. The state of vicāra is a later stage in meditation practice, most conducive to the birth of wisdom. At this stage, it is primarily the mental faculty engaged in subtle discernment; consciousness remains unmoving or moves minimally and subtly.

Question: If this state of "vicāra" is maintained in a very quiet environment, one gradually feels as if the surrounding space and time have solidified. The body also seems to be as if existing and yet not existing. The conscious mind seems to drift outside the body, quietly "perceiving" everything. Upon emerging from this state, one finds that one's thinking power and perceptive ability are significantly stronger than usual. This is likely an effect brought about by the conscious mind maintaining focus, right? As the duration in this "vicāra" state gradually increases, one finds that the concentration of consciousness and the mental faculty becomes stronger, the power of awareness becomes increasingly acute, and one also notices that breathing and heartbeat become progressively slower, more prolonged and subtle. There is a genuine concern that one might stop breathing and the heart might stop beating, leading to death.

Answer: In the state of vicāra, consciousness maintains only awareness, without extraneous mental activity. When the mental faculty is undisturbed, it engages in deep, subtle, and single-pointed discernment, making it easy for wisdom to arise. Once the wisdom of the mental faculty arises, it can penetrate the object of focus (ālambana), see it as empty (śūnya), and thus realization (bodhi) becomes easier. If one does not reach the state of vicāra, the thinking activity of consciousness is active, hindering the discernment of the mental faculty, preventing true wisdom from arising. The results analyzed, reasoned, and judged by consciousness do not penetrate the mental faculty; the mental faculty does not accept them. Consequently, whatever views consciousness may hold, they remain merely views, while mental habits (citta-saṃskāra) remain mental habits; the two do not interact, and practice still does not enter the Path (mārga). Observe how many people claim to have attained fruition (phala), realized the mind (cittotpāda), and so forth, yet there is not the slightest change in their body, mind, or world. On the contrary, their afflictions (kleśa) may increase, and conceit (māna) may even flare up. This is because consciousness has analyzed and reasoned out a principle, but the mental faculty does not acknowledge it. Their thoughts, views, and actions remain as before—they are the same old person with the same old conduct. They bear the name of a sage (ārya) but possess the mind of an ordinary person (pṛthagjana). Subsequently, they often regress and abandon the Path, which is truly pitiable.