Questions and Answers on the Contemplative Practice of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness

Question: What is the difference between knowing with clarity (enlightened knowing) and knowing with ignorance?

Answer: Ignorance is the inner obscurity and lack of knowledge—not knowing that the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self; not knowing the arising, ceasing, and transformation of the world of the five aggregates; not knowing the essential nature and characteristics of all dharmas; not knowing that all dharmas are illusory manifestations of the tathāgatagarbha; not knowing the principle of cause, condition, and retribution. In short, ignorance is not knowing or understanding the true principles and dharmas, and grasping all false dharmas as self and what belongs to self. Knowing that carries these ignorances is ignorant knowing.

If, through contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), one realizes that the five aggregates subject to grasping are suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self, realizes the true principles of all dharmas, eradicates ignorance, and no longer deludedly and confusedly grasps at all dharmas, then the knowing of the five aggregates and the knowing of all dharmas are clear and are called clear knowing. Of course, clarity also has gradations of difference; it has levels and degrees—there is an initial clarity and a final clarity. Clarity must become clear progressively, becoming clearer and clearer; then one will have more and more wisdom and become more and more liberated.

Clarity is also divided into the clarity of the mind consciousness and the clarity of the manas. The clarity of the mind consciousness is relatively easy: once the Buddha-dharma is thoroughly understood, the mind consciousness becomes clear. But the clarity of the manas can only appear after actual realization. The clarity of the manas cannot appear merely through understanding and simple deliberation (manasikāra); one must constantly investigate within meditative concentration (samādhi), constantly deliberate, in order to achieve sudden enlightenment and become suddenly clear. The clarity of the mind consciousness is gradual clarity; gradual cultivation brings gradual clarity, and gradual clarity is the result of understanding, not true wisdom.

Even the mind consciousness's thorough comprehension of the principles is by no means easy, so attaining realization of the fruits through the mind consciousness is likewise very difficult. It is not, as many people think, that by deliberating a bit and understanding a bit, one realizes the fruit through the mind consciousness—that is still far from realizing the fruit through the mind consciousness, and even farther from realizing the fruit through the manas. How could realizing the fruit be so easy? Ignorance is so deep and heavy, the obstructions so great, the afflictions so heavy, and the wisdom so shallow—it is already quite good to be a good ordinary person. If one does not change oneself, eliminate a portion of one's afflictions and ignorance, and undergo a complete transformation, it is best not to talk about realizing the fruits, for realizing the fruits is truly far too distant.