How to Contemplate That the Aggregate of Perception Is Not Real

Thinking itself is also subject to arising and ceasing; to ask you to keep thinking on and on is simply impossible. To keep the content of thought from shifting, to think about one single thing continuously—also impossible. No matter how the mind consciousness thinks, once the manas feels that a matter is unimportant and there are more important things to attend to, the mind consciousness must turn to other matters and has no mind left for the former thought. Lying awake at night unable to sleep from all that thinking—that is entirely because the manas cannot let go of its concerns, driving the mind consciousness to think back and forth. Once the manas empties its mind and releases its concerns, the mind consciousness immediately ceases, and one falls asleep.

Thought, which arises, ceases, and changes, comes from nowhere and goes nowhere; when it comes there is no trace, when it goes there is no shadow. Where can one see that thought is "I"? When a myriad thoughts surge forth, if you track the stream of thinking, you can never find its trace; right at the very moment of thinking, the thought is also empty. What is a thought? What is thinking? Where is the person or affair being thought of? Where are the matters and principles being pondered? What is the conscious mind that does the thinking? It cannot be grasped; nothing at all is obtained—utterly empty. Dharmas that arise, cease, and are impermanent cannot be clearly articulated; one cannot cling to them, and searching again, not a trace remains.

Last night, withered branches battered by wind and rain; this morning, mist and dew in the slanting sun's glow. In past lives, thought after thought of an old friend's affection; in this life, we forget each other and become strangers on the road.