Can One Engage in Zen Meditation Directly Without Relinquishing Self-View?

Question: Is it necessary to first sever the view of self before practicing meditation to realize the true mind? Some people seem to have little understanding of severing the view of self and wish to practice meditation directly. If they succeed in meditative inquiry and realize the true mind, will one naturally perceive all phenomena in the world as impermanent? Because knowing one truth, all else naturally becomes false.

Answer: A few individuals with strong foundations from past lives, possessing some understanding and realization of emptiness and selflessness, may directly engage in meditation. During this process, they will first sever the view of self before realizing the true mind. The vast majority, however, have weak foundations and harbor excessive attachment to self. Their obscurations during meditation are too heavy, making genuine realization of the true mind and enlightenment difficult. They must likely first sever the view of self before practicing meditation. Practicing meditation without first severing the view of self yields, at best, a theoretical awakening. While the fruit may appear fine and fragrant, its practical value is limited.

During theoretical awakening, two senses of self exist side by side without conflict, further reinforcing the view of self and afflictions. The "theoretical" aspect here is equivalent to inference, not experiential realization. Therefore, it does not sever the view of self, and one may perceive the true mind as another self. This poses a significant obstacle to practice. Thus, those with a strong view of self should first focus on severing it. Only after the view of self is severed and obscurations are removed does realizing the true mind become easier.

Most people do not even achieve theoretical awakening; that itself is not easy. If one genuinely achieves theoretical awakening, deepening meditative concentration is essential. Then, using the mental faculty (manas) to re-engage in meditative inquiry during concentration, or to verify one's theoretical understanding, when causes and conditions mature, it can transform into experiential realization. The prerequisite is the complete cultivation of precepts, concentration, and wisdom, including the Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment and the Six Perfections of a Bodhisattva. When genuine theoretical awakening occurs, the major direction is clear, and practice will progress more swiftly. The concern is that very few can achieve genuine theoretical awakening; most only grasp the theory without the realization.

Establishing theoretical knowledge is vastly easier compared to actual diligent practice. If the knowledge is learned from elsewhere, the difficulty ratio between the two is more than one to ten. If the knowledge is gained through personal exploration while practicing, the difficulty ratio is less than one to ten. Practice primarily relies on one's own concentration and wisdom. The process of exploration is itself the time of actual diligent practice. Once a method is found and skill matures, realization of the path comes swiftly.