The Difference Between Contemplative Practice (Vipaśyanā-caryā), Contemplative Visualization, Observation, and Imagination

Observation generally refers to objective observation—observing whatever is present right now. It is also called direct contemplation (vipaśyanā-caryā) or direct observation. Imagination, on the other hand, is the mind's fabrication of what is not present—a mental embellishment that departs from the present object and from facts. It is the opposite of direct contemplation; it is a mental activity of the mind consciousness and is a great taboo in cultivation and realization.

A few days ago, in a post about training the manas in daily life, I mentioned that staring at the tip of an incense stick is the mind consciousness staring, done in order to draw the manas to observe the incense tip; and that the mind consciousness should not engage in random thoughts, should not imagine anything, should not produce images in the mind, and should not disturb the manas's observation. A single incense tip—what is there to imagine? There are not so many things to think about, so why produce images? If the mind consciousness's deluded thoughts cannot be stopped, the manas cannot settle down either, and when the mind is not in meditative concentration (samādhi), observation is impossible. When there is meditative concentration, it is called observation; without meditative concentration, it is just the mind consciousness's scattered thoughts. While training the manas, one is also training the mind consciousness. First train the mind consciousness to be free of deluded thoughts and imaginings; once it is free of scattered thoughts, the manas is more or less trained as well. Only then can one speak of observation—observation that does not stir the mind consciousness's thoughts—and one can also enter contemplative investigation. Afterwards, upon entering meditative absorption, contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and investigative inquiry can be accomplished.

Among the four foundations of mindfulness, contemplating the body as impure—including contemplation of the breath and the white-bone contemplation—the breath is a dharma present right now; this contemplation is called observational contemplative practice. The white bones may be visible when present, or may not be visible, but everyone has seen white bones and knows what they are, so no imagination is needed. The contemplation of the breath and of white bones can be called observational contemplative practice, and can also be called contemplative visualization.

Contemplating feeling as suffering: feeling is one's own personal experience, present right now or something one has experienced; no imagination is needed. The contemplation of feeling is called observational contemplative practice and contemplative visualization.

Contemplating the mind as impermanent: the mind is one's own deluded mind, present and operating right now, which one can feel oneself; no imagination is needed. The contemplation of the mind is called observational contemplative practice and contemplative visualization.

Contemplating dharmas as non-self: the dharmas are the truths of the Four Noble Truths, the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment, the five hindrances, the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) and eighteen elements, and so on, which we cultivate. These are dharmas present right now; no imagination is needed. The contemplation of dharmas is observational contemplative practice and contemplative visualization.

However, due to insufficient wisdom, one cannot correctly recognize the dharmas present right now and instead relies on the mind consciousness's thinking and imagination; then direct contemplative practice is impossible. Even such a simple phenomenon as the breath, many people cannot observe directly and instead rely on the mind consciousness's thinking and imagination. Once the mind consciousness stirs, it obscures the manas, and direct observation and contemplation cannot be engaged, so the results obtained are false.

In contemplation of an image Buddha recollection (buddhānusmṛti), one places a Buddha statue in front, or a painting of a Buddha. The mind consciousness looks at the Buddha image while the manas observes directly. When meditative concentration is insufficient, the mind consciousness assists the manas in observing, with some thinking and analysis. When meditative concentration is sufficient, the mind consciousness's analysis is set aside, and the manas observes directly on its own. When meditative absorption arises, the direct-perception object of the manas's contemplative practice manifests, realization-verification appears, and the contemplation of an image Buddha recollection is accomplished. At that time, whether or not the mind consciousness thinks of the Buddha image, the image will appear—not subject to the mind consciousness's control—and both body and mind abide in meditative absorption. Whatever the mind consciousness cannot control or direct is the manas's direct-perception object, real and reliable.

The sixteen contemplations of the Contemplation of the Infinite Life Sūtra have no reference objects and are very difficult to contemplate; they must rely on one's own power of aspiration and the blessing power of Amitābha Buddha and other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The first contemplation, the sun contemplation, has the setting sun as a reference object. The subsequent fifteen contemplations have no reference objects at all, and the mind consciousness cannot be used to think and imagine them. In the land of bliss (Sukhāvatī), even a single blade of grass or a single tree cannot be imagined, let alone so many sights and treasures that one has never even heard of and that do not exist on Earth at all—how could one contemplate them? But as long as the first contemplation, the sun contemplation, is accomplished and the mind abides in meditative absorption, the manas's contemplation opens up, and with the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the second and third contemplations have hope of being accomplished. After the third contemplation is accomplished, no matter what, the meditative absorption will never disappear and will be maintained until the time of death, and then one will be reborn in the land of bliss within this meditative absorption. The permanent maintenance of the meditative absorption is the result of the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; otherwise it could not be maintained. Therefore, if the first contemplation has not been accomplished and one goes directly to cultivate the later contemplations, the difficulty is beyond the ordinary—it is unimaginable how one could cultivate them.