Samadhi Is the Directly Perceived State of Manas (Part 1)

White Skeleton Contemplation Log (1): During the latter half of my meditation, I clearly saw the blood flowing within the vessels before my eyes; even when I did not wish to see it, it appeared in my mind. When I closed my eyes and rubbed my palms together after ending the sitting, a red mass appeared before me, resembling orange segments, with the pulp inside still wriggling. Then, as I continued rubbing my palms, the red mass began to turn white and luminous, revealing a three-dimensional image within—magnified sweat pores, hair, skin flakes, red bumps, and inflamed sweat pores—which made me extremely uncomfortable. Why do images appear when rubbing palms after ending the sitting?

Reflection Questions: Why do phenomena we normally cannot perceive at all become visible during meditation? Which consciousness perceives them? What state is being perceived? Do they still appear when not meditating?

The phenomena described in this contemplation log belong to the exclusive shadow realm within meditative concentration (定中独影境), which is the mental object (法尘) of the meditative state. This mental object of the meditative state is directly perceived (现量了别) by the solitary mental consciousness (独头意识); it is not inferential cognition (比量), nor is it erroneous cognition (非量了别). When initially entering concentration and practicing White Skeleton Contemplation during meditation, it is the non-quantitative (非量) imagination of the solitary mental consciousness. Over time, this permeates the manas (意根), causing the manas to directly manifest (现量呈现) the state of White Skeleton Contemplation. The state directly manifested by the manas is the samadhi state (三昧境界). Samadhi includes both meditative concentration (禅定) and wisdom (智慧); it is the state of balanced equipoise of concentration and wisdom (定慧等持). The result of this contemplation necessarily involves the arising of wisdom; without wisdom, it is not the final result but an intermediate stage.

The exclusive shadow realm within concentration is directly manifested by the manas. The solitary mental consciousness then directly perceives the skeleton phenomena. Once the manas is permeated, it directly manifests the state it cognizes. Whatever state the manas cognizes, the Tathagatagarbha (如来藏) manifests that state, and the solitary mental consciousness perceives it. This is the samadhi state. Within the samadhi state, concentration is extremely strong, and wisdom is also extremely strong. Concentration is easy to understand; it means focus. What is wisdom? Here, wisdom is the recognition that the physical body of the five aggregates (五阴身) is merely a pile of white bones. Once the manas accepts this, the White Skeleton Contemplation is accomplished, or at least an intermediate stage is achieved. At the final stage of practice, the white bones are even transformed into minute particles (微尘), and finally, the minute particles also disappear. All of these are states directly realized (现量证得) by the manas.

Does such mental object of the meditative state still exist after ending the sitting? If the mind is not scattered, one remains in concentration, in the samadhi state, and walking, standing, sitting, or lying down will all manifest the white skeleton. The first five consciousnesses (前五识) cannot perceive it, nor can the mental consciousness concurrent with the five senses (五俱意识). It can only be perceived by the solitary mental consciousness, because the samadhi state is an exclusive shadow realm, cultivated individually, belonging solely to the individual. There is no shared external mental object (外法尘) or external sense objects (外五尘), so others cannot perceive it. All samadhi, whether the samadhi of meditative concentration or the samadhi state of balanced concentration and wisdom, is initiated by the manas. If the manas is not successfully permeated, wisdom does not arise, and the samadhi state cannot manifest. This includes the meditative state of Buddha-Recitation Samadhi (念佛三昧). The mental consciousness recites the Buddha's name, permeating the manas until it ripens. Then, the manas automatically and consciously recites the Buddha's name; the mental consciousness does not recite, but the manas recites. In the meditative state, if the mental consciousness feels tired and does not wish to recite, the manas, already accustomed to reciting, continues reciting by itself—a recitation without language or sound, audible only to the solitary mental consciousness. The manas recites regardless of whether the mental consciousness wants to or not; even if the mental consciousness tries to control it, it cannot. At this point, it belongs to Buddha-Recitation Samadhi.

When in the state of Buddha-Recitation Samadhi, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, it feels as if the sound of Buddha recitation appears beside the ear. Actually, it arises in the mind, not beside the ear, and there is no actual sound; it is merely a mental impression. The sound of Buddha recitation is not produced by the mental consciousness. The mental consciousness does not wish to recite but must hear the recitation sound. How does this recitation sound manifest? The manas recites the Buddha's name, and the Tathagatagarbha correspondingly manifests the sound of Buddha recitation, not controlled by the mental consciousness. The manas has no language or words, yet the solitary mental consciousness can perceive the sound of Buddha recitation; it does not wish to hear it but must listen, and must continue listening.

The moment of severing the view of self and attaining the fruit (断我见证果) is a samadhi state of attaining the purified Dharma eye (得法眼净), which contains the wisdom of the Undeveloped Concentration (未到地定) and the wisdom of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self (苦空无常无我的无生智慧). Who manifests this wisdom? It is manifested by the manas. The mental consciousness contemplates and permeates the manas in daily practice. The manas ponders the principles of the Four Noble Truths (四圣谛理) and finally realizes the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self of the five aggregates. Then the samadhi state of the purified Dharma eye appears. Within meditative concentration, the manas, pondering, produces a result in accordance with principle (如理的结果), and wisdom arises. This samadhi is manifested by the manas and directly perceived by the solitary mental consciousness. Therefore, any kind of genuine realization is a direct realization (现量证) by the manas and mental consciousness. It corresponds to direct perception (现量); there is no inference (比量) or erroneous cognition (非量). Only the dharma actively manifested by the manas is direct perception and samadhi.

After the manas severs the view of self and attains the fruit, while in the samadhi state, the phenomenon of enlightened clarity (觉明) will appear; without samadhi, there is no enlightened clarity. The phenomenon of enlightened clarity arises when the manas contacts and realizes a previously unknown state, causing excitement and delight within the mind; the mental consciousness cannot generate this. Enlightened clarity arises when one is in the state of meditative concentration samadhi; without meditative concentration, there is no enlightened clarity. Within samadhi, afflictions (烦恼) are extremely subtle, one could say they do not arise; they are all subdued. Body and mind are light and at ease (轻安), sensations are extraordinary, and sleep is reduced. During meditative concentration, qi and blood flow smoothly, essence and spirit are full (精满神满), desires are subdued, sleep is very light—one could say the hindrance of sleep (睡眠盖) is absent. Three or four hours of sleep per day are sufficient. This is the samadhi state manifested by the manas.

Realizing the mind (明心) is also like this. After the manas realizes the fundamental mind (本心), it also abides in a samadhi state. Walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one remains in concentration. Prajna wisdom (般若智慧) arises, afflictions are extremely subtle, enlightened clarity is also present, body and mind are very light, at ease, comfortable, and free. Sleep is also very little; the spirit is full and does not think of sleep. The mind is joyful and at ease. Abiding in this state belongs entirely to the samadhi state.

There is also a Suchness Samadhi (真如三昧); its attainment is likewise. Actually, Suchness Samadhi belongs to the wisdom state of the patience with the non-arising of dharmas (无生法忍), which is the wisdom of the path and seeds (道种智) and the wisdom of consciousness-only seeds (唯识种智). It is not attainable by those who have just attained enlightenment; it is attained upon entering the first bhumi (初地). What is Suchness Samadhi? Realizing the suchness nature (真如性) and consciousness-only nature (唯识性) of all dharmas is Suchness Samadhi. Seeing the functioning of one's fundamental mind in all dharmas, one knows that all dharmas are of the nature of suchness, that all dharmas are suchness. At this point, one enters the first bhumi, partially realizing the selflessness of dharmas (分证法无我), partially realizing the patience with the non-arising of dharmas (分证无生法忍), partially realizing the one true Dharma realm (分证一真法界), and partially realizing the Mahayana liberation (分证大乘的解脱). This is also called the Partial Realization Buddha (分证即佛). Only at this stage does one attain Suchness Samadhi. Before the first bhumi, one cannot realize the suchness nature of all dharmas. Without the wisdom of consciousness-only seeds, one cannot see the suchness in all dharmas. The wisdom of Suchness Samadhi is extremely profound and subtle. Before this, one can only have the prajna wisdom of the patience with non-arising (无生忍), not the wisdom of consciousness-only. The wisdom of the patience with non-arising is much shallower compared to the wisdom of Suchness Samadhi.