Q&A 22: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness Contemplation Practice

Question: During meditation, when breathing naturally, who is controlling the body?

Answer: During natural breathing, there is no dominance by the manas (the thinking mind), let alone by the consciousness (the discerning mind). Unnatural breathing is controlled by the consciousness and manas, while voluntary breathing is directed and controlled by the consciousness. Many of the body's life activities are solely operated by the ālaya-vijñāna (storehouse consciousness). Sometimes the manas may take control, and sometimes the consciousness may take control. Of course, when the consciousness controls, it actually influences the manas, causing the manas to control. Natural operations, which we cannot perceive, do not necessarily involve the manas.

Question: Can meditation make life more splendid?

Answer: If there is a thought seeking to make life more splendid, isn't this precisely a heavy view of self (ātma-dṛṣṭi)? Isn't the thought of "I" the very essence of the suffering of birth and death? To regard the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) as the self, to delight in the five-aggregate body, to cling to the five-aggregate body, to desire the continuation of the five-aggregate body, and to give rise to grasping—this prevents the cessation of accumulation (samudaya) and the ending of suffering (duḥkha). The suffering of birth and death will only become heavier, running counter to spiritual practice. One should diligently study the Four Noble Truths (catvāri āryasatyāni)—suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Begin by contemplating suffering. Only by knowing suffering can one arouse the mind for practice and enter the path. In fact, once one embarks on observing the breath, one can arrive at the conclusion that the five aggregates are suffering; all conditioned actions are suffering. Almost every mental state of an ordinary being contains an "I," manifests an "I," unaware that the very existence of "I" is suffering.

Question: During breath observation, which consciousness is manipulating the breath? How many consciousnesses are observing the breath?

Answer: In voluntary breathing, the consciousness and manas regulate the breath. Under normal circumstances, the consciousness does not need to regulate the breath. In the fourth dhyāna (meditative absorption), the phenomenon of breathing ceases. This indicates that the meditative absorption is profound; when the manas no longer regulates the breath, breathing stops. If breathing did not involve the manas, then the state of breathing should always remain the same, never changing.

When observing the breath, it is the consciousness that observes. There is perception by the body consciousness, hence there is perception by the sense-accompanied consciousness (manas-consciousness accompanied by the five senses). If concentration is strong, the manas observes simultaneously with the consciousness. If concentration is weak, the manas only lightly attends to it; due to lack of focus, there will be no particular sensation or thought. When observing the breath, if the mental attention follows the breath down to the dan tian (lower dantian/elixir field), the dan tian will warm up, heat will disperse, and one may spontaneously perspire. If one can direct the qi (vital energy) to the dan tian and experience perspiration, it indicates that the mental attention (intention) of the manas has reached the dan tian, causing the qi to follow and arrive there. The consciousness alone does not possess this power.