Only Through Progressive Contemplation and Practice Can Actual Realization Be Achieved

Yao Ling's Contemplation Journal: Yesterday, while contemplating the six dust realms, I realized they are illusory and unreal. My mind refused to acknowledge them as truly existent, allowing it to gradually cease clinging to the phenomena of the six dust realms. I contemplated that the act of "arising thoughts to grasp at and differentiate the six dust realms" is impermanent, lacks autonomy, is depleting, and is suffering. Why must I pay attention to the six dust realms? I continued turning the light inward, neither arising thoughts to grasp at and differentiate the dust realms nor giving rise to deluded thinking. The dust realms are fundamentally illusory; the realms do not name themselves.

Further contemplating that all dharmas are devoid of self and that the myriad dharmas are merely consciousness, I felt this resonated with the line from the Diamond Sutra: "There truly are no dharmas; all dharmas are Buddha dharmas." It's like all phenomena are merely one's own shadow. So why should I pay attention to my own shadow? Consequently, I completely ceased giving rise to thoughts recollecting any dharmas, and my mind abided peacefully in a state of natural freedom and self-awareness. If the mind does not stir feelings, phenomena will not respond.

The state became clear and bright. After a while, I felt myself enter a boundless, limitless void, unable to find the boundary of my body or any sense of space. At this point, I maintained the wisdom contemplation of "all dharmas are devoid of self," refrained from grasping at the state, and though my mind felt fear, I was able to persevere. This state lasted for over ten minutes before fading. This state arises each time my contemplation reaches this point, though sometimes my condition regresses, and it takes months before I can contemplate to this depth again. At this moment, I had a slight experience of "where words cease and mental activities come to an end." My breathing also became faint, almost imperceptible, with only slight respiration at the dantian. The body's qi channels also changed rapidly, and mental energy recovered very quickly.

Comment: This contemplation practice seems quite diligent and appears to have some meditative effects. However, these contemplations are actually chaotic and lack sequence. They involve pulling out all the theories one has learned for contemplation. While called "contemplation," it is actually just permeation (familiarization), all falling within the thinking and analysis of the conscious mind. The conclusions reached are the conclusions of the conscious mind and are merely the theories learned, lacking any intermediate proof process or actual evidence. Thus, they are merely theories. Too many people contemplate like this and then believe they have realized and confirmed something.

In reality, the theories mentioned here—successfully contemplating even one of them and realizing it—would require the time of an immeasurable kalpa, because they belong to the domain of the Wisdom of Consciousness-Only (vijñāna-mātra-jñāna) of the Bodhisattvas on the Bhūmis (grounds). Can an ordinary person accomplish such contemplation and directly become a Bodhisattva on the Bhūmis? Obviously not. For example, contemplating that all dharmas are devoid of self is the contemplation state of Bodhisattvas on the Bhūmis. "The myriad dharmas are merely consciousness" also belongs to the domain of Wisdom of Consciousness-Only. "All dharmas are Buddha dharmas" similarly belongs to the domain of Wisdom of Consciousness-Only. "All phenomena are merely one's own shadow"—let's tentatively say this "self" refers to the Tathāgatagarbha—realizing this state would correspond to the fulfillment of the first Bhūmi. Another example: contemplating the illusoriness of the six dust realms. Without any evidence proving the realms are illusory, one merely forces the conscious mind not to acknowledge the realms as real, and then takes this as representing that the six dusts are indeed illusory. This is not contemplation; it is merely reciting the Buddhist sutras. In this way, even the conscious mind has not realized and confirmed the illusoriness of the six dusts, let alone the realization by the mental faculty (manas), which seems even more distant.

Many people have studied too much theory. They seem to know everything, yet have digested and absorbed nothing. It's all blocked in their minds, neither here nor there. They do not know the wisdom levels corresponding to these theories, nor how to progressively, step by step from shallow to deep, actually realize them. They do not know the sequence of study and contemplation. Those without arrogance are better off. But once a person has arrogance, they will believe they have realized this and that, becoming unreceptive to others' words. Even without arrogance, if they don't believe they have realized anything, such chaotic and disordered contemplation is of little practical benefit to actual cultivation and realization. Although they may temporarily attain some meditative concentration (dhyāna), it is unstable and can regress at any time. Even if the dhyāna does not regress, it will inevitably regress after death. Without actual realization severing the view of self, how much benefit will all the dhyāna and contemplation be at the time of death?

Nowadays, people studying Buddhism, including Dharma teachers, lack actual realization. They do not know the depth and hierarchy of the theories they learn. They merely learn and teach whichever theories seem lofty and impressive, as if learning or teaching them means realizing them. They are very busy and chaotic, lacking sequence or method. If one wishes to permeate the mind with the Dharma (adhimukti) and is interested in Consciousness-Only, permeating the mind with Consciousness-Only is fine. But to contemplate and actually realize Consciousness-Only, one must do so after severing the view of self and attaining the third fruit (anāgāmin), and after clarifying the mind and passing the Chan (Zen) school's Three Barriers. Before that, actual realization of Consciousness-Only theory is completely impossible; there is absolutely no way. The sequence of cultivation is: contemplate the five aggregates as devoid of self to sever the view of self; then engage in Chan practice to clarify the mind; afterward, give rise to subsequent-attainment wisdom and attain the first dhyāna, becoming a third-fruition person; gain the ability to pass the Firm Barrier (牢关); successively accomplish the contemplations of Illusion (māyā), Heat-Mirage (marīci), and Dream (svapna); only then comes the content of the Wisdom of Consciousness-Only, such as the One True Dharma Realm, the Myriad Dharmas are Merely Consciousness, All Dharmas are Devoid of Self, the Mirror Image Contemplation, the Samādhi of Suchness, etc.

If the foundational dharmas preceding these are not realized, no matter how one contemplates the subsequent dharmas, there will be no actual effect; they will not be realized. It can only be called permeation. It is not as some people say—that one can observe how the eighth consciousness gives rise to the body, senses, and material world immediately upon enlightenment, or observe how all dharmas are the functional activity of the seeds of the eighth consciousness. This is utterly impossible. Even if one is truly enlightened and has truly realized the eighth consciousness, one could exhaust oneself trying and still not observe these things. Even at the stages of the first, second, or third Bhūmi Bodhisattva, one cannot observe how the eighth consciousness gives rise to the body, senses, material world, or the universe, nor observe how all dharmas are the functional activity of the seeds of the eighth consciousness, because these all belong to the domain of the Wisdom of the Path (mārga-jñāna). One cannot possess the Wisdom of the Path immediately upon enlightenment. Making such claims proves this person is not truly enlightened and does not know what someone who has just become enlightened can actually observe.

Whoever genuinely aspires to achieve cultivation in this very life and cease revolving in the three evil destinies must generate great resolve and make great vows. They must proceed steadfastly from the most fundamental Buddhadharma, without aiming too high while their abilities are low, attempting to build castles in the air. First, lay a solid foundation. Proceed step by step; do not skip steps, and certainly do not try to fly. Train your leg strength, train your footwork. It would be truly excellent in this life to genuinely sever the view of self, thereby avoiding the suffering of the three evil destinies; that alone is cause for great rejoicing. On this basis, engaging in Chan practice and truly clarifying the mind is already quite remarkable and carries immense merit. The rest need not be considered for now, as it is still very distant; considering it is useless.