How to Eliminate the Grasping Nature of the Manas

If the grasping and clinging nature of the manas is subdued, then wherever you sit down, with the mind empty and vacant, meditative concentration (samādhi) will manifest, and whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, it will be as if you were in empty space. When clinging is lightened, body and mind become tranquil and at ease. Therefore, emptiness first empties the manas; afterward the mind consciousness becomes empty, and the inner mind is utterly empty and clear.

To remove the manas's grasping at the five aggregates (pañcaskandha), one must let the manas, in a state of meditative concentration, slowly and subtly follow along with the mind consciousness's contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), letting the manas gradually deliberate (manana) upon the content that the mind consciousness contemplates and reflects on. Once the manas truly deliberates and understands, and is certain that the five aggregates are indeed empty and illusory, one then realizes the non-self of the five aggregates. If only the mind consciousness knows this principle, while the manas is not certain or affirming of it, it is not realization. If the manas lacks concentration and is scattered and chasing after objects, it cannot focus on considering the meaning of the Dharma, and realization is impossible. Only when the manas has concentration, is not scattered or chasing after objects, and the mind is focused and concentrated, can it deliberate and observe, and finally confirm—then ignorance is severed.

In the actual contemplative practice, first observe how the aggregate of form (rūpa) arises and how it ceases, and observe how the aggregate of feeling (vedanā) arises and how it ceases. Deliberate and observe slowly and carefully, gradually accepting the suffering, emptiness, and impermanence of the aggregate of form and the aggregate of feeling. If there is no concentration, there is only the mind consciousness's thinking and analysis, which cannot penetrate to the manas; the manas will then be unable to accept this principle and may even resist it.

Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of perception (saṃjñā): for example, when drinking tea, observe how the knowing of the tea's flavor arises and how it ceases; when hearing a sound, observe how the knowing and grasping of the sound arises and how it subsides. Give the manas a certain amount of time and energy, slowly and quietly letting it deliberate and ponder, letting it accept, letting it engage in its own deliberation following the mind consciousness's direct perception (pratyakṣa) observation. When there is concentration, the contemplative practice can penetrate to the manas. All dharmas must be accepted and acknowledged by the manas before change occurs, for the manas believes that seeing with one's own eyes is what is real.

Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of formations (saṃskāra)—the arising and ceasing of bodily, verbal, and mental actions. The whole series of actions of taking the tea, brewing the tea, and drinking the tea are all the aggregate of formations. Observe how the aggregate of formations arises and ceases, how it is suffering, empty, and impermanent, and how it is non-self; then the manas affirms it, the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi) is severed, and the subsequent practice is to gradually eliminate self-grasping. Contemplative practice requires meditative concentration: in concentration, the manas is given ample time and energy to deliberate on the Dharma and personally verify the non-self nature of the five aggregates. When the manas is constantly chasing after objects and extremely busy, it has no energy at all to think through and confirm the Dharma principles that the mind consciousness has been steeped in.

Observe the arising and ceasing of the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna): when the eye sees form, observe how eye consciousness arises and how it ceases; when hearing a sound, observe how ear consciousness arises and ceases. Observe in this way, one consciousness at a time, observing the arising and ceasing, illusory transformation, impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self of the six consciousnesses. You must observe slowly and meticulously, penetrating to the manas, letting the manas think, observe, and acknowledge along with you. Once the manas acknowledges it, it can gradually relax its grasping at the five aggregates, and there is hope for the elimination of self-grasping.