What Is Vicikitsā? How to Sever the Knot of Doubt?

When there exists a dharma within the mind that cannot be decisively resolved—uncertainty about whether the five aggregates are truly real, whether they are impermanent and subject to birth and cessation, whether they constitute an indestructible self that can be relied upon, or whether they can continue into future lives—this unresolved doubt leads to hesitation and an inability to make a decisive judgment. Consequently, one may still harbor reliance and trust in the five aggregates. The karmic actions of the three evil destinies created through dependence on the five aggregates cannot then be eradicated, and one will drift along with karma, revolving within the three evil destinies. This doubt is a fetter of affliction; if not severed, afflictions, karmic consequences, and suffering will inevitably persist. How then is this doubt, this fetter of affliction, to be severed?

Some say that as soon as they contemplate that the five aggregates indeed lack a self, doubt vanishes from their mind, they confirm the selflessness of the five aggregates, and thus sever the fetter of doubt. Can the conscious mind, merely by superficially contemplating the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and selflessness of the five aggregates, dispel the profound doubt deep within? Likely not. Since time without beginning, we have harbored no doubts about countless worldly matters. Some people even go through their entire lives without doubting their own actions, believing themselves to be correct and wise. Yet, until the moment of death, they may not have accomplished a single truly worthy deed. While alive, they were indeed confident, but lacking wisdom, they did not know they were unwise; their confidence, born of ignorance, was unreliable.

Therefore, some individuals are very confident that they have indeed acknowledged the selflessness of the five aggregates and severed the view of self. Yet this conviction and affirmation are blind. At the moment of death, when facts confront them, they can only drift along with their karma, utterly incapable of exercising any mastery.

How then can the fetter of doubt be severed? One must cultivate meditative concentration (dhyāna). Within the stability of meditation, one must carefully observe, practice, and contemplate. Alternatively, one must diligently practice according to the method of contemplation on the four foundations of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna) taught by the Buddha, applying genuine effort without seeking shortcuts. Steadfastly cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path and the seven factors of enlightenment, giving rise to meditative absorption and the samādhi of emptiness.

During the Buddha's time, beings of great or supremely great capacity could, upon hearing the principle of the selflessness of the five aggregates, immediately attain the fourth fruition of Arhatship. Their monastic robes would settle upon them, their beard and hair would fall off, and spiritual powers would manifest. For instance, Mahākāśyapa, Śāriputra, Subhūti, and others. They had attained the fourth fruition in previous lives, countless kalpas ago—even three immeasurable kalpas. Their identities might have been Buddhas returning; naturally, they could attain fruition upon hearing a single phrase. This is because their manas (mind-root) had attained fruition immeasurable kalpas prior. Although the five aggregates of their present life were new, and the conscious mind was new, the manas had never ceased; it had always known the selflessness of the five aggregates. It was merely the conscious mind that was unaware. In this life, upon hearing a single phrase of the Dharma, without needing contemplation, the conscious mind could realize the selflessness of the five aggregates, while the manas had always known it. There was no need for the conscious mind to laboriously condition or instruct the manas anew. Hence, their attainment of fruition was extremely swift.

Anyone who attained fruition in a previous life will attain fruition very quickly in this life, without the conscious mind needing to condition or instruct the manas again. The more times one attained fruition in previous lives, the faster the attainment in this life, because the manas no longer obstructs the path.

A manas that has been conditioned and transformed is exceedingly sharp; it only requires the conscious mind to comprehend. If one only attained the first fruition (Sotāpanna) in a previous life, attaining the first fruition in this life is easy, but attaining the second fruition (Sakadāgāmi) is not, because the manas only corresponds to the level of contemplative wisdom of the first fruition.

For one who attained the second fruition in a previous life, attaining the second fruition in this life is relatively easy, but attaining the third fruition (Anāgāmi) is difficult, because the manas does not yet correspond to the third fruition. One must again condition and instruct it on the content of the third fruition for both the conscious mind and manas to attain it.

For one who attained the third fruition in a previous life, re-attaining the third fruition in this life is relatively easy, but attaining the fourth fruition (Arhat) is difficult, because the manas does not correspond to the state of the fourth fruition. One must again condition and instruct it on the content of the fourth fruition for both the conscious mind and manas to attain it.

This is why those who return (pṛṭhagjana who are actually advanced practitioners or Buddhas returning) attain fruition and realize the mind faster than others.