Cultivation of Concentration and Chan Meditation for Realization of the Way (Part 1)
Section Three: The Method of Practice in Investigating Chan
1. The Method of Practice in Investigating Chan Is Vitarka and Vicāra
At the very beginning of investigating Chan, the practice employs the mode of vitarka (initial application): vitarka means the mind consciousness rather coarsely searching for the target of the eighth consciousness; the manas is also in a state of searching, not yet locked onto the target, because the power of meditative concentration is not deep enough, and thus the power of wisdom (prajñā-bala) is not great enough. When concentration improves further, preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) is complete, and the mind consciousness and manas become very subtle, one can lock onto the target with a clear direction, and investigating Chan turns into vicāra (sustained examination). Vicāra is like a cat that has spotted its prey, staying motionless in place waiting for the target to appear. Because the mind consciousness has already discovered the general location where the eighth consciousness will appear, the manas can very subtly and single-mindedly investigate, and the thoughts of the mind consciousness are almost motionless. At this point investigating Chan has a direction and a target; only by knowing roughly where the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, will appear can the mind consciousness quietly watch like a cat stalking a mouse, and only then can the manas subtly deliberate (manasikāra). Then enlightenment will not be far off.
The dharma of investigating Chan can only proceed when the true mind and the deluded mind are joined together; the true and deluded minds must function simultaneously. Among them, the true mind, the eighth consciousness, is responsible for cooperating with the activities of the mind consciousness and manas, transmitting consciousness seeds, but it cannot engage in thinking; He cannot discriminate mental sense-objects (dharma-viṣaya) and cannot directly engage in the activity of investigating Chan. The deluded mind, the mind consciousness, can cognize all dharmas and can also cooperate with the manas in investigating Chan; the two, with the cooperation of the eighth consciousness, directly carry out the activity of investigating Chan. Because the mind consciousness can correspond to and discriminate mental sense-objects, its discriminating thought can be extremely subtle, with very strong cognitive capacity. In relatively deep meditative concentration, after the mind consciousness transmits what it has cognized to the manas, if it does not employ excessive mental activity to disturb the manas's deliberation, the manas will single-mindedly investigate and weigh the information transmitted by the mind consciousness, and thereby realize enlightenment.
Investigating Chan is what is called "cultivation through thinking," also called investigation (canjue). Although the mind consciousness's investigating Chan cannot be separated from thinking, it is also not idle imagination; one must not rely on sentimental conjecture and intellectual interpretation, must not analyze, and must not speculate. It requires that, with the power of concentration complete, the manas personally and subtly investigate — that is a deep level of thinking that has penetrated into the manas. This kind of thinking is very subtle; thoughts are almost motionless, close to waiting. First one searches for the target; after finding the target where the eighth consciousness appears, one must be like a cat stalking a mouse, just waiting to seize Him. Even at this point it is not passive waiting; deep-level thinking and investigation are still proceeding within the mind, very secretly and carefully searching for traces of the true mind's operation behind the delusive dharmas.
The initial stage of investigating Chan is seeking or searching, mainly the mind consciousness seeking; only at the end comes vicāra, comes waiting, when thought moves deeply and slowly — this has engaged the manas; investigating Chan has reached the manas. Some say investigating Chan must leave behind the mind consciousness, but if one leaves the mind consciousness there is no cognition, no way to lock onto the target and guide the manas to pounce upon it. Without the mind consciousness, one is either in the samādhi of non-perception (asaṃjñā-samāpatti) or in dreamless sleep; without the mind consciousness one cannot investigate Chan. Above the second dhyāna the mind consciousness is too subtle to engage in investigating Chan. One must handle the meditative state of investigating Chan well in order to be in the optimal state for investigation, and only then can one see the mind or see the nature.
2. Intensive Thinking Is Equivalent to Investigating Chan and to Śamatha-Vipaśyanā
In worldly dharma there is a saying that intensive thinking can lead to spiritual absorption. Intensive thinking means deep and subtle thinking, and only then can one attain concentration and stillness — this is entering stillness (śamatha) through contemplation (vipaśyanā). From stillness one can further contemplate deeply; śamatha and vipaśyanā are held in equilibrium and assist each other. When we read sutras, we can deeply and slowly ponder a single sentence or a single principle, concentrating all our attention on that sentence, drawing out the power of concentration; with the aid of this concentration, contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and thinking can become extremely subtle. One can then enter preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), and also enter the first dhyāna with vitarka and vicāra, and also enter the samādhi between the first and second dhyānas that has vitarka without vicāra; then extinguishing the vitarka and vicāra within that state of vitarka without vicāra, one can enter the second dhyāna.
In contemplative practice, deeply and subtly thinking about one dharma principle, one enters concentration quickly, the power of concentration rises quickly, and understanding the principle is also quick. While thinking within concentration, both body and mind are joyful and energy is abundant. If one wants to raise the power of concentration, one can find a time free of disturbance and engage in contemplative practice and thinking for an hour or two; then concentration and wisdom will arise together, and body and mind will be stable. If one truly has no way to cultivate concentration and cannot carry out deep, subtle contemplative thinking, it is because merit is still insufficient to support progress on the path, resulting in marking time without advancing. To increase merit, one must frequently make great vows, consider others' benefit more, harbor less selfishness and pride, and reduce afflictive obstructions (kleśāvaraṇa) — then merit will increase.
As for the dharma principles to ponder deeply, the general direction should be the same for everyone, but the specific principles each person faces are not all the same; everyone has questions they currently cannot resolve. Suspend this question deep in the mind, think and contemplate; every thought rests upon this question, with the mind undistracted — this is concentration (samādhi). With this concentration, further deep and subtle thinking can gradually resolve the question.
As long as we cultivate merit to fullness, cultivating concentration is not difficult, and contemplating the Buddha-dharma is not difficult either. If one can make pure great vows, merit will accumulate quickly; if afflictive obstructions and afflictions can be subdued, merit will also accumulate quickly. Then the blessing power of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas will be great, and our progress on the path will be rapid. Everyone should not let every thought revolve around "I," with the mind always circling around oneself, never projected onto others, always thrusting oneself forward and putting oneself on display when things happen — then the blessing power received from the Buddhas and bodhisattvas will be very small. Because such a person is of little use to Buddhism or to sentient beings; after receiving blessings they still act for themselves, thinking only of personal benefit, so the power of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas cannot reach them.
Those who have not yet cultivated the power of concentration well should examine whether their merit is already complete, whether their afflictions and afflictive obstructions have already lightened, whether there are still many things they crave within, many people, things, and matters they are attached to, many matters they brood over; usually unable to let go of many things, with the mind full of worldly dharma thoughts moment after moment, rather than calm and tranquil. One should also check whether one's power of vow is insufficient, merely drifting along with conditions without direction or goal. After discovering these, one must find ways to remedy and correct these deficiencies and strive to eliminate one's afflictive obstructions and afflictions. If after discovering them one still cannot overcome them, then recite the Śūraṅgama Mantra frequently, relying on the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and dharma-protecting deities to bless oneself.
Our current goal of cultivation is to subdue our own afflictive obstructions and afflictions, examine ourselves more, find our shortcomings and remedy them, live harmoniously together, and be careful that our words do not hurt others. If others are at fault, try to help them with skillful means; if others are not at fault and yet we criticize and blame them, we will lose our own merit — it may benefit others, but we ourselves must bear a portion of the karma. Our merit drains away at every inadvertent moment without our being aware of it. Always wanting to gain the upper hand in everything, to have the last word, with heavy selfishness and pride — this damages one's own merit. Humility and peacefulness are blessings. Try to subdue yourself; although subduing oneself is very difficult, it must still be done. Those with great merit have light afflictions and light pride. One who can know that one has no few unwholesome thoughts is a person with self-knowledge. Among the fifty-one mental factors (caittas) of the mind consciousness, unwholesome dharmas far outnumber wholesome ones, so no one should think themselves very good, nor confidently believe that everything about themselves is good and right — otherwise there is no way to make further progress.
3. The Methods of Entering the Path through Principle-Cultivation and Phenomenal Cultivation
外息诸缘，内心无喘，心如墙壁，可以入道。This is a passage spoken by Patriarch Bodhidharma. This passage can be explained in two ways. The first, from the perspective of principle, refers to the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya), the innate state of the true mind. The other, from the perspective of phenomenal cultivation, is the state of concentration and wisdom of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. From the perspective of the ultimate truth: the principle-body of true suchness, the tathāgatagarbha, has no outside and no inside, no external conditions, and does not cling to any dharma. He does not cognize any sense-object realm, does not know the wholesome or unwholesome, true or false of any realm; therefore within His own mind there is no deliberation, no thought, no views, no opinions. Because of this, no external dharma can enter the mind, and no thoughts, viewpoints, or opinions emerge from within the mind; He is like a wall, impervious inside and out, with neither inside nor outside. Having understood such a nature of the tathāgatagarbha, one can then investigate Him and realize Him — this is entering the path through principle-cultivation.
From another perspective, this is entering the path through phenomenal cultivation. Phenomenal cultivation means that through cultivating concentration and wisdom, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses no longer cling to external dharmas and the mind does not deliberate on various conditions; within a concentration stable as a mountain, one single-mindedly investigates Chan and realizes the tathāgatagarbha. This concentration can be the first dhyāna of the form realm, or it can be the desire-realm preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) before the first dhyāna. When this concentration is reached and the mind is focused, one can investigate Chan and investigate a huatou (critical phrase); when the investigation breaks through, one is enlightened. Specifically, one cultivates concentration until one no longer clings to the external sense-objects of form, sound, scent, taste, and touch, and the mind no longer clings to other mental sense-objects, with no wandering thoughts, no recollection, no scattered deliberation. Cultivate the mind to be like a wall: afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion cannot enter, irrelevant sense-objects of the six dusts cannot enter, and one can focus on a single dharma, contemplating and investigating the dharma of true suchness, the dharma of the tathāgatagarbha, investigating a gong'an (public case) or a huatou. When the conditions and the season are complete, one can realize the mind-body of true suchness.
The huatou can be: "Who is dragging this corpse around?" "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" "Who is eating?" "Who is walking?" One can also contemplate and investigate a sentence from a sutra, for example in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra the Buddha said: 如机关木人，机发相起。This sentence can test whether a learner has truly awakened to the Way and whether the awakening is right or wrong. If one has awakened wrongly, the meaning of this sentence cannot be understood. One also does not understand the meaning of the sentence 菩萨举足下足皆从道场来 — a sentence from the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra. There are many more huatou; the best is one that fits one's own spiritual faculties (indriya). This kind of concentration is not easy to cultivate in this turbid age; in the Tang and Song dynasties the vast majority of people had this kind of concentration, so awakening to the Way was very quick.
Investigating Chan does not necessarily require sitting; one can investigate Chan while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, anytime and anywhere. With the mind concentrated and undistracted, whenever one encounters objects and conditions, one can awaken and enter at any moment. From ancient times to the present, the vast majority of patriarchs who awakened did not awaken while sitting, and it is also not easy to awaken in sitting. Some awakened upon hearing someone say a sentence; some awakened upon hearing a sound; some awakened upon seeing form; some awakened upon smelling a scent. They had all already investigated Chan to a certain degree, and were triggered by an accidental opportunity that sparked inspiration and thus awakened to the Way. Many also awakened by hearing their master's instruction, and some awakened because their master gave a punch, a blow of the staff, or a shout — each person's conditions for awakening seem different.
Investigating Chan also requires having cultivated to a certain degree before one can investigate; if the power of concentration is insufficient, one must not force the investigation — forced investigation is useless. When the power of concentration has reached the desire-realm preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), and while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down the mind can avoid scattered thinking and can focus on one state, that is the best opportunity for investigating Chan. Investigating Chan at this point can give rise to questioning doubt; resolving the questioning doubt, one can quickly see the mind and become enlightened.
4. The Direction of Investigating Chan
The direction of investigating Chan should be within all the activities of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down — when each dharma manifests, investigate what its substance actually is. It is said the five aggregates are illusory; since they are illusory, why do they still appear? The aggregate of volitional formations in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down is all illusory transformation — how exactly is it transformed, and who transforms these marks? When sitting in meditation, is there a person meditating? Who is meditating? The eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, does not meditate; the seventh consciousness, the manas, does not meditate; the mind consciousness does not meditate; the first five consciousnesses do not meditate; and without consciousness the body would not meditate either. So let us think: is there a person meditating? Who is meditating? How does the dharma of meditation come about? This is investigating Chan; when the investigation breaks through, one is enlightened.
When we speak, we should reflect: who is speaking? Is there a person speaking? How does the dharma of speaking come about? The eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, does not speak; the seventh consciousness, the manas, does not speak; the mind consciousness does not speak; the first five consciousnesses do not speak; and the tongue without consciousness does not speak either — otherwise dead people could speak. Who exactly is speaking? And how does one speak — how is language formed? This is investigating Chan; when the investigation breaks through, one is enlightened. Who exactly is reciting in recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti)? Who exactly is reading the sutras? Toward all matters one should raise questioning doubt; when conditions arrive, the doubt can be resolved, breaking through delusion and awakening.
5. The Relationship Between Intuition and Investigating Chan
The state of investigation at the final stage of investigating Chan is a state of "vitarka and vicāra" without the marks of language and words — that is, it has penetrated into the manas, and the manas alone directly investigates. Intuition is precisely the function of the manas, the manas's awareness, the manas's perception; it is not easy to express clearly in language, because the manas does not correspond to language. The manas's intuitive function is very powerful and fairly accurate; many people trust their own intuition.
All the questions in the mind belong to mental sense-objects (dharma-viṣaya). When the tathāgatagarbha manifests the mental sense-objects, the manas contacts them first and knows them first, then produces awareness. For some mental sense-objects the manas can understand the general situation, just not in detail or specifically; then the manas directs the mind consciousness to contact the mental sense-objects again, carefully observing and analyzing the problem. Sometimes the mind consciousness must begin thinking and analyzing in the direction the manas has perceived, and only at the end is the problem clarified. Often, when the mind consciousness thinks along the direction of the manas's intuition, problems are solved quickly and rather accurately.
Investigating Chan and investigation are the mind consciousness and the manas cooperating together to clarify a question. The mind consciousness needs the cooperation of the manas's intuitive function; the manas needs the mind consciousness's guidance and assistance, needs some data of logical thinking and analysis; using this data, the manas further perceives and verifies, and the problem is settled.
Carry that intuitive perception along continuously; this state is both meditative concentration and the manas's wise activity of investigation. Most people have this experience but do not understand it and do not know how to use it. In deep investigation, the mind consciousness's thinking and analysis are not employed; rather, the manas is secretly and deeply deliberating (manasikāra); He cannot express Himself and does not correspond to words and language. With the mind consciousness's slight cooperation, guiding the manas onto the dharma being investigated and fixing Him there — that is the state of investigation. A state led by the mind consciousness is a state of thinking and analysis, a level shallower than the state of investigation; it is the preparatory convenience for investigating Chan, and only afterward can the state of investigation appear.
6. Understanding the Nature of the Eighth Consciousness Can Determine the Direction of Investigating Chan
In investigating Chan, seeking and realizing the eighth consciousness, one must not only understand the nature of the eighth consciousness, but also know where He reveals Himself, when and where He shows traces. Only then can we capture Him at a certain time and place, recognize Him, and then hand in hand return home to sit in peace, in perfect joy.
Where are the times and places where the eighth consciousness appears? The eighth consciousness exists and manifests at every moment, functions at every moment, and never departs from the five-aggregate body for an instant. At the six faculties, at the six sense-objects, at the six consciousnesses, on the eighteen realms, on the five aggregates of clinging — everywhere He manifests; everywhere there are conditions for seeing Him. As the Chan masters of the past said, 生缘处处 — where is He absent? Where is not He? He is lively and vivid; every contact with conditions is Him.
Thus the opportunities to find Him are infinite. It is not that He can only be encountered when the mind consciousness does not discriminate; if the mind consciousness does not discriminate, how would you recognize your own family treasure, how would you recognize your long-lost parents? And the very place of discrimination is precisely when He displays His powers in full! The eighth consciousness's own mind is originally free of thoughts; He does not recollect any dharma and does not perform any dharma. There is no need for us to deliberately cultivate the mind consciousness into no-thought as well; a no-thought that has been cultivated, no matter what, is not the eighth consciousness that is originally free of thoughts, because the mind-bodies are different. Just as a white sweet potato, even painted red, cannot be a red sweet potato, because their essences are different.
Therefore, in investigating Chan and seeking one's own mind, the eighth consciousness, there is no need to make the mind consciousness free of thoughts — there is no such necessity at all. The eighth consciousness manifests not only when the mind consciousness is free of thoughts, but even more when the mind consciousness's thoughts move moment after moment, and vibrantly so. The eighth consciousness's traces pervade all times, all grounds (bhūmis), all places, all realms, all dharmas; at any time, in any place, the eighth consciousness manifests vividly, never concealing the slightest bit. If being free of thoughts in the mind consciousness means the eighth consciousness exists, or is the eighth consciousness, then what should be done when the mind consciousness has thoughts again? Having thoughts and having no thoughts are both dharmas of arising, ceasing, and change; the mind-body of the eighth consciousness never arises or ceases and never changes.
Others also say that the eighth consciousness is a mind that abides nowhere, and that to realize the eighth consciousness our mind consciousness must also not linger on any thought and must also make the mind abide nowhere. Leaving aside whether the mind consciousness can achieve abiding nowhere, even if the mind consciousness truly cultivated to abiding nowhere, it would still be the mind consciousness and could not become the eighth consciousness, because their essences are different. The eighth consciousness's abiding nowhere is being originally without abode; He pays no attention at all to whether the mind consciousness abides or not. And when the mind consciousness does not linger moment to moment, that is precisely when the eighth consciousness reveals His splendor in full. Let us linger and abide as we will — where we linger, where we abide, there is the figure of the eighth consciousness; recognizing Him at this time, one can return to His homeland.
Since the eighth consciousness pervades all places, where is not He, where is He absent? Without Him there is nothing at all, no "where," no "which place"; with Him there is everything, there is a "where," there is a "which place." What a flexible dharma! There is no need to make the mind consciousness rigid and dead, nor to make a big project of the mind consciousness. We need only use the mind consciousness to introspect (pratyavekṣā), observing where it comes from, observing where it arises, and naturally we can find the road home. After realizing Him, wisdom can arise, giving rise to the prajñā wisdom of ultimate reality; when wisdom is complete and full, one can become a Buddha.
7. Investigating Chan Is Investigating the Tathāgatagarbha While Walking, Standing, Sitting, and Lying Down
The Buddha-dharma is not apart from awakening within the world. The tathāgatagarbha is not apart from the worldly dharmas of sentient beings' five aggregates and eighteen realms; He is always together with the myriad dharmas, existing not apart from the myriad dharmas, operating not apart from worldly dharmas. To find Him, one must investigate the tracks of His operation within the activities of the five aggregates and eighteen realms, perceive Him within the manifestation of the myriad dharmas, and realize Him not apart from bodily, verbal, and mental actions. Apart from the worldly dharmas of the five aggregates, He cannot manifest or operate — it would be like the state of Nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa) — and there would be no way to see the mind and awaken to the Way. Therefore investigating Chan is seeking the true dharma upon the delusive dharmas.
Investigating Chan is like riding a donkey while searching for the donkey. At every moment we depend on the tathāgatagarbha, live within the tathāgatagarbha, are tightly connected with the tathāgatagarbha, never separated for an instant; yet we now do not recognize Him and do not know where He is, and we need to use special methods to seek Him and realize Him — this is riding a donkey while searching for the donkey. In the morning the tathāgatagarbha gets up together with us, at night sleeps together with us, and during the day is together with us. Because we are too intimate with Him, too tightly connected, too close to Him, too accustomed to Him, we cannot awaken to Him. When we raise the thought of wanting to find Him, apart from Him there is no way to find Him; it is He who helps the mind consciousness in the searching and helps the manas in the realizing. He is a dharma greatly different from worldly dharmas, a very strange dharma; there is nothing in the world resembling Him, and that is why He is so hard to understand and hard to seek.
8. True Recollection of the Buddha Is Recollecting the Tathāgatagarbha
The Buddhapiṭaka Sūtra says: 念无所念即名念佛。To recollect this dharma of "that which recollects nothing" is recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti); this dharma of "that which recollects nothing" refers to the tathāgatagarbha — this is recollection of the Buddha after realization. Before enlightenment, the recollection of the Buddha that investigates the tathāgatagarbha through investigating Chan is holding the tathāgatagarbha in mind without language, words, or images; that is, using recollection of the Buddha as a method of investigating Chan and investigating a huatou. Holding the tathāgatagarbha in mind without language, words, or images is keeping watch on the huatou.
The true Buddha — the tathāgatagarbha — is Himself that which recollects nothing; He does not recollect any dharma, because He does not see or know worldly dharmas, does not cling to any dharma, and does not hold any dharma in mind. True recollection of the Buddha should be recollecting the unborn and unceasing true Dharmakāya Buddha of suchness. But this is recollection of the Buddha after realizing the tathāgatagarbha, knowing where He is, what His merits and nature are, and how He functions — a recollection of the Buddha in which principle and phenomena are perfectly fused. After realizing the tathāgatagarbha, recollecting the tathatā nature and meritorious nature of the tathāgatagarbha, recollecting His conditioned and unconditioned natures — that is true recollection of the Buddha.
Before enlightenment, one recollects a false Buddha, or recollects a semblance of the Buddha, or recollects an imagined tathāgatagarbha and suchness. These are all semblances of recollection of the Buddha, not true recollection of the Buddha. Keeping watch on the huatou requires a sentence as the huatou; after the skill of keeping watch on the huatou matures, one then investigates the huatou; when conditions are complete, one can see the mind and realize the tathāgatagarbha. Holding the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, in mind is not keeping watch on the huatou — it is a phrase, not a sentence; it can count as semblance recollection of the Buddha and is also of great help to cultivation.
