How to Select Appropriate Meditation Objects (Mind Training Section)

We usually engage with too many dharmas at every moment, leading to scattered thoughts, dispersed contemplation, and fragmented energy. As a result, we cannot clearly discern any of the dharmas we engage with, failing to generate wisdom. This causes our bodily, verbal, and mental actions to become disordered, creating karmas of greed, hatred, and delusion. If we can apply our minds with focused precision and contemplate deeply and thoroughly, we will penetrate the dharmas we engage with, cease foolish actions, and attain liberation.

To train the mental faculty (manas) to reduce its grasping at external phenomena, narrowing attention to engage with only one dharma at a single point in time and thereby increase concentration, we must find a suitable object for contemplation that aligns with our practice. We need to find an object that interests the mental faculty and allows it to penetrate deeply, enabling it to contemplate purely, intuitively, and free from distracting thoughts. Only after concentration is enhanced can wisdom increase.

What kind of object is easy to penetrate? In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, twenty-five sages each realized perfect penetration (perfect enlightenment) through the six sense faculties, the six sense objects, or the six consciousnesses, or through the six great elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness). Any dharma can be contemplated to realize perfect penetration. Perfect penetration means complete and thorough understanding, a complete penetration and realization of the emptiness (śūnyatā) of that dharma—the emptiness principle of the Small Vehicle and the emptiness nature of the Great Vehicle. Since perfect penetration can be attained through the six sense faculties, six sense objects, six consciousnesses, and six great elements, then every dharma can lead to perfect penetration; every dharma is an entry point for realizing the Way. However, due to limited energy, each practitioner must choose only one entry point suitable for themselves, focusing diligently on contemplation to achieve a breakthrough and enter the Way. After entering the Way, one will gradually penetrate all dharmas.

If choosing the eye faculty as the entry point, one must select an appropriate visual object (rūpa). Once a suitable object is chosen, mentally accepted, and felt comfortable and pleasant, contemplation will become effortless. The chosen object should be simple and clear, not large in size, with uncomplicated shape and color, so it does not draw excessive attention or evoke various thoughts and emotions that lead to rampant delusions. This would contradict the original intention of practice and prevent entry into normal, tranquil contemplation.

Simple visual objects include incense tips, beans, balls, pens, one’s own fingertip, toe tip, hair, clothing buttons, etc. Simple objects, especially familiar ones, do not require exploration or analysis, do not cause emotional fluctuations, allow the mind to remain calm and neutral, and facilitate concentration.

During contemplation, use only intuition to observe. Observe whatever is present on the visual object; do not mentally fabricate unseen details. This is direct, present-moment observation (pratyakṣa-pramāṇa). Mental fabrication is false observation (a-pramāṇa), which is inadvisable as it yields unreal results and achieves nothing. Observing the visual object is not about studying it; do not contemplate its size, shape, length, width, or whether its color is vivid. These are matters for mental consciousness analysis; analyzing them is useless. The result of contemplation is unrelated to these aspects; the attainment of samādhi is not based on them. One might ask: “Then what exactly is observed, and what is realized?” Once the practice matures, it will naturally become clear—ineffably wonderful. As for how wonderful, one can understand by studying the samādhi states of the twenty-five sages.

If choosing the ear faculty as the entry point, the chosen sound object (śabda) must be selected carefully. The sound should not fluctuate dramatically or be too melodious, lest it stir emotions and trigger flights of fancy. The sound should be somewhat monotonous and soft; sounds with noise that disturb the mind are unsuitable. The ticking of a small clock or watch is appropriate, as it can be carried and heard anytime. Once accustomed, hearing the sound can calm the mind. The most convenient sounds are one’s own heartbeat, breathing, light tapping of a finger, clicking of teeth, etc. The sound of a wooden fish (muyu) is even better; record it on a phone and set it to loop automatically.

If choosing the nose faculty as the entry point, the chosen smell object (gandha) must be selected carefully. Choose a faint, clean fragrance; the scent should not be strong, lest it generate greed. Suitable scents include spice, fruit, flower, or grass fragrances, etc.

If choosing the tongue faculty as the entry point, the chosen taste object (rasa) must be selected carefully. Taste objects reside in the mouth; the most direct and convenient methods are contemplating saliva, the taste of the oral cavity, or holding nuts, date pits, etc., in the mouth. The taste should be mild, not too rich or fragrant, otherwise greed may arise, causing thoughts to scatter, delusions to intertwine, and the mind to become impure.

If choosing the body faculty as the entry point, the chosen tactile object (spraṣṭavya) must be selected carefully. The tactile object must be in contact with the body, portable, and constantly accompanying the body. Thus, using a part of one’s own body is most convenient, such as lightly touching the forehead with a finger, pressing the pulse, swaying the waist while sitting cross-legged, or holding a small ball, stone, prayer beads, nut, etc. Avoid significant friction, as it may require excessive attention and scatter the mind.

If choosing the mental faculty as the entry point, the chosen mental object (dharma) must be selected carefully. The simpler it is, the easier it is to stabilize the mind. Examples include counting Arabic numerals from 1 to 100 repeatedly, counting beans in a small pocket by touch, counting prayer beads, counting breaths, counting heartbeats, counting one’s fetal breathing, reciting Buddha’s name, or reciting mantras—all are good methods. Practicing through the mental faculty is slightly more difficult than through the five physical sense faculties.

Choose an object that allows contemplation during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, enabling continuous practice. This allows contemplation even while working or conversing, without hindering daily affairs. During conversation, if the content is not critically important and does not require full immersion in listening and responding, one can converse and respond while simultaneously contemplating—observing the other person’s collar or buttons, or focusing on one’s own breath, counting breaths, etc. If one frequently attends meetings at work that are not particularly important, this time should be well utilized, not wasted. In the meeting room, select any sense object arbitrarily; engage in half-meeting and half-contemplation, neglecting neither.

This intuitive observation can be applied to guide children’s learning. It is a method to train concentration and cultivate samādhi and prajñā. Worldly and transcendental samādhi and prajñā are universal, both utilizing the same mind. Once well-trained, children’s academic performance will naturally improve; their comprehension, self-learning ability, and even originality will naturally enhance.