Only Through Persistent Contemplative Practice Can One Continuously Improve.

Ru Ben's contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) log: These past two days, each time I sit in meditation I first do full lotus for 25 minutes, then my body starts to warm up, and I switch to half lotus. Now my right leg is softer than before. I feel that the mental power during full lotus is somewhat more effective than half lotus. For now I am still focusing mainly on cultivating meditative concentration (samādhi). After sitting down, the mind can settle, and I have recognized the importance of "sharpening the axe does not delay the cutting of firewood," so I no longer crave any particular feelings or results, and thus I am no longer impatient. I can settle my heart and start from the ground up, beginning with the breath. 

When sitting, I still first regulate the breath: first inhale deeply into the abdomen, then slowly exhale, regulating for several minutes while relaxing. Then I slowly and silently recite the Heart Sutra, word by word. Once I reach a state of stillness and contemplation, I contemplate the breath for a while. When I feel bored, a scattered, restless desire arises in the mind; then I introspect and see that this mind is merely a function of awareness, that this "self" has no place to abide, is unattainable either internally or externally, is dreamlike and illusory, and that fundamentally no one exists. Then, in that state, there are no more cravings, the mind becomes still and unmoving, and even the desire to contemplate disappears. After 45 minutes, when my legs begin to feel numb, swollen, and painful, I persist and endure the sensations for a while, then get off the cushion after one hour, not wanting to continue any longer. 

Assessment: In contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), it is normal for the physical body and mental state to fluctuate up and down. What matters is persistence; in the end it will become steady with no more fluctuations. At that point, the contemplative practice will become firm. Regarding the breath that is being contemplated, there will be clear understanding and perception, and regarding the other bodily phenomena induced by contemplating the breath, there will also be a lucid understanding. One will no longer enter into states, but can leap outside of them, separating mind and matter, looking down upon the physical body. Only then can there be an understanding in accord with reality, seeing clearly the true facts of the physical body, gradually perceiving the emptiness (śūnyatā) of the body's arising, ceasing, and change. This perception is not forcibly implanted by the mind consciousness, nor guided by it; it is the manas's objective, lucid perception, an unemotional, rational cognition. Only rational cognition can endure and function persistently, can transform body and mind, transform one's attitude toward the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), and enable one to view and handle the problems of the five aggregates objectively. With such sustained effort, even the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) becomes possible. 

By cultivating gradually in this way, one will come to know what role the mind consciousness plays in it and what role the manas plays in it. One will then realize how naive and laughable the erroneous, irrational view is that the mind consciousness can attain realization of the fruits. Some people, seeing the records in the Buddhist sutras of bhikṣus attaining realization after listening to the Dharma for just a few minutes, think that they too can quickly attain realization without cultivating the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment or cultivating meditative concentration. What an ignorant and laughable notion! Those who attained realization after listening to the Buddha's teaching for just a few minutes had done a great deal of cultivation work in past lives and this life; their thirty-seven factors of enlightenment were complete, their roots of goodness and merit were complete, the causes and conditions for obtaining the Dharma were complete, and the Buddha's blessing power was great. Theirs was not a realization gained effortlessly by taking shortcuts; they paid a considerable price. 

Now, when we diligently cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), we are cultivating the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, practicing precepts (śīla), meditative concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā) together, striving to nurture roots of goodness and merit, not taking shortcuts but advancing steadily, laying a solid foundation. When all the various causes and conditions are complete, we will be able to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi).