Contemplating the Five Aggregates and Eliminating the View of Self (Part I) (Second Edition)
Section 4: Contemplative Practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) Is Also a Process of Subduing Afflictions
1. How Does Sentient Beings' Craving for the Six Sense Objects Arise?
The World-Honored One said in the Saṃyukta Āgama: 缘眼界生眼触。缘眼触生眼想。缘眼想生眼欲。缘眼欲生眼觉。缘眼觉生眼热。缘眼热生眼求。 This means that when sentient beings' eye faculty contacts form objects (rūpa-viṣaya), eye consciousness arises; once eye consciousness arises, it can discern form objects; after discerning, it wants to discern again; due to liking and craving, greed arises; then the mind becomes feverish and agitated, wanting to possess and grasp the form objects, and craving is fully manifested. People without cultivation let their mental activities and cravings continue to develop without ever restraining or reproaching their own minds, until they finally create karmic actions.
A person with cultivation alerts themselves at some link in the middle of this chain, stopping it and not letting it proceed further. Because arhats have severed craving for the three realms, their minds are no longer scattered or grasping; after the eye faculty contacts form objects, they do not wish to proceed further with discrimination and feeling; they shift their gaze away and no longer make contact, thereby maintaining the purity of their own minds; their minds no longer produce agitation and vexation, much less thoughts of craving; thus the seeds of continuing birth-and-death in future lives can be severed, and there is no more saṃsāra. Sentient beings are just the opposite: they always follow their own mental cravings without cease, never knowing to reproach themselves; therefore their karmic actions are unending, birth-and-death is endless, and suffering is continuous. With the other faculties, sentient beings likewise follow their own greedy minds, and therefore they follow along with saṃsāra and cannot escape the ocean of suffering.
2. Only Gradual Cultivation Can Elevate One's Mental Character and Virtue
The Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra describes the gradual cultivation process from the stage of ordinary beings to the four stages of noble ones; among these, the initial Śrāvaka-bhūmi is described in great detail. The yogi's process of realization is not rapid but progressive; only in this way can one gradually attain meditative concentration (dhyāna), subdue greed, hatred, and delusion, and transform various afflictive mental activities. Only then can one eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), realize no-self, possess the character of a sage, and undertake the work of a sage—not being someone who, having realized the first fruit (srotāpanna), remains an evildoer committing every evil with extremely heavy greed, hatred, and delusion.
Only gradual cultivation can gradually subdue afflictions, elevate the quality of one's mental character, and progressively perfect both ordinary human character and bodhisattva character. Rapid intellectual understanding (jiěwù), quickly obtaining the final answer, has none of this merit; there is no time to subdue afflictions, no way to elevate one's mind and character; the result is merely gaining a reputation without the substance—an outcome where the loss outweighs the gain. It is just like cooking rice and simmering medicine: rice quickly cooked versus slowly simmered over low heat have completely different flavors and nutritional value. Seeking speed is a severe utilitarian mentality, a mind of seeking and a mind of gaining; it is a worldly mind, a mind of birth-and-death, and cannot give rise to the mind of no-self, the mind of non-action, the mind of liberation, or the pure mind without seeking. It often runs counter to the Path and produces the opposite of the intended result.
To subdue afflictions, elevate one's mind, and cultivate the character of a sage, one must start with the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), starting from various practices of śamatha-vipaśyanā. The path of śamatha-vipaśyanā is long, not fast; only by contemplating and practicing in all directions and from all angles, cultivating śamatha, subduing one's own mind, can a person gradually transform, shed the ordinary mortal frame and acquire the bones of a sage, be completely renewed from the inside out, and become a true sage, a leader guiding sentient beings. Only after pulling your own legs out of the mud can you lead and pull sentient beings with affinity out of the mire; if you yourself lack the strength to pull your legs out of the mire, how could you pull others out of it?
3. Subduing Afflictions Is a Process of Corresponding with Sagehood
The Buddha said that the entire Buddha-dharma is the One Buddha Vehicle dharma, with no second and no third. The cultivation and realization of the Śrāvaka-bhūmi is one part of the One Vehicle dharma—the most fundamental part, and also a very important part. The cultivation within it is the process of subduing and eradicating afflictions and gradually corresponding with sagehood and buddha-nature; it is indispensable. If this foundation is not laid well, yet one single-mindedly wants to build a high-rise tower, even if it could be built it would be a castle in the air, bound to collapse sooner or later. Therefore the cultivation of all bodhisattvas must be down-to-earth, consolidating the foundation, emphasizing the cultivation of precepts, concentration, and wisdom (śīla-samādhi-prajñā), diligently extinguishing greed, hatred, and delusion; one must not merely shout slogans without substantive cultivation content, while still claiming to be engaged in correct and genuine practice.
Afflictions and afflictive obstructions (kleśāvaraṇa) obstruct both meditative concentration and wisdom, blocking the arising of the light of wisdom, just as a wall blocks the light. When afflictions are removed and the obstruction is gone, only then can the sixth and seventh consciousnesses transform consciousness into wisdom, and their wisdom can then be vast and unobstructed. Those with heavy afflictive habits and narrow minds cannot observe the profound and subtle Buddha-dharma; they merely circle around on the surface of the dharma, unable to go deeper. The seventh consciousness (manas) is greatly constrained by afflictions and habits, revolving around a self and unable to break through; everything it perceives carries the mark of self, and its wisdom is narrow. One can see that the wisdom of no-self is indeed vast. Therefore we should frequently observe whether our own minds have the characteristic of self, whether they possess unfairness; upon discovering self-characteristics and selfishness, we should find ways to subdue them as much as possible, because these are inconsistent with the Buddha's mind and will certainly obstruct the Path. Compared with the Path, the characteristic of self is like the relationship between ox hair and the ox: it must be removed to obtain the ox rather than the ox hair.
4. Only by Constantly Observing and Subduing the Self Can One Draw Near to Sagehood
If you hope to eradicate the view of self soon, in daily life you should dilute your sense of "I," observe your own thoughts—are they all about a self? When you discover that your self-consciousness is rather strong, you should awaken, or reproach yourself, not be too compliant with the self. Times of setback are also good opportunities to observe and subdue the self, because it is because of the self that you feel you have suffered a setback; overcome the self a bit, and the sense of setback will diminish or disappear. This greatly helps in eradicating the view of self.
Among crowds and in solitude, weaken your sense of presence; do not care too much about yourself, do not take yourself too seriously. Do not strive to outdo others, do not demand to be first in everything. You are not truly existent, the other person is not truly existent, the group is not truly existent; there is no first or second, no best or worst—it is all a virtual name and concept. If your mind constantly thinks "I must defeat everyone, I must stand out, I must have all eyes upon me," such thoughts show that the characteristic of self is rather heavy; there is no way to eradicate the view of self, much less become a sage. The sage's mind is empty and non-active (asaṃskṛta); it is not such a mentality. The more you try to highlight yourself, the further behind others your mind falls, not corresponding with non-action, unable to become a sage. The birth of a sage is just the opposite: without a sense of self-existence, performing active deeds while the mind remains non-active, single-mindedly for the sake of the multitude—only then is one qualified to become a sage.
5. Only When Cultivation Reaches the Manas Can Afflictions Be Dug Out
In studying and practicing Buddhism, when the manas has not yet been perfumed, the body, mind, and world will not transform, and one will not obtain the true benefit of the Buddha-dharma. Because the body, mind, and world are governed by the manas and regulated by the manas, when the manas realizes no-self, it will relax its control over body and mind, and the body and mind will transform, becoming relaxed and unobstructed. This is a great secret of studying and practicing Buddhism; everyone should reflect on it more. In studying Buddhism, one must never remain at mere verbal Zen; one must penetrate deep into the manas's inner world, genuinely transform oneself, and dig out the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion from the root; only then can one thoroughly transform and quickly achieve accomplishment.
Many people may have learned many dharmas and studied Buddhism for a long time, but have they obtained true benefit? Has their inner world transformed? Have their feelings and attachments regarding the self loosened somewhat? One must frequently turn the light inward and reflect; only then can one continuously progress. If you lack the ability to turn the light inward and reflect, you should find someone to supervise you, to periodically knock on you and awaken you; in this way, cultivation can also be faster.
Many people never examine their own minds, and even less do they want others to knock on them; this is because the manas is too attached to the self, too protective of the self; self-grasping is deeply rooted, and studying Buddhism yields no power. Cultivation requires constantly contending with oneself; only then can one transform oneself and continuously advance on the Path. If one contends with others instead, that is a great mistake.
6. The Sequential Eradication of Afflictions
In cultivation, after eradicating the view of self and attaining the first dhyāna, one first eradicates greed (lust), then hatred. The mind of hatred is rather difficult to eradicate; after the mind of greed has been eradicated, how long it takes to eradicate hatred varies from person to person, depending on whether that person's mind of hatred is very firm. Some people have rather weak greed but very heavy hatred, with endless entanglements over people and affairs in their minds; for them, eradicating hatred is difficult. If hatred is not completely eradicated, one cannot realize the third fruit of the śrāvaka (anāgāmin). It is also very difficult for those with heavy hatred to attain the first dhyāna, because inner entanglements obstruct the arising of meditative concentration; hoping to realize the third fruit of the śrāvaka and enter the first bhūmi within one lifetime—that hope is very slim.
However, those who have not yet eradicated the view of self, even if they possess meditative concentration of the first dhyāna or above, are still ordinary beings because they have not yet eradicated the view of self. Devas of the form realm have no active manifestations of desire-realm greed, but they still have active manifestations of hatred and delusion within. The desire realm is mainly characterized by greed, with greed as the dominant factor; the form realm has subdued greed but still has hatred and delusion; the formless realm is dominated by delusion. Devas of the formless realm believe that relying on meditative concentration they can attain liberation, that the meditative state they dwell in is the state of nirvāṇa; they lack the knowledge and view of liberation, and therefore the concentration they cultivate is wrong concentration (mithyā-samādhi). Concentration not corresponding with wisdom, concentration that cannot attain liberation, is wrong concentration. Therefore the devas of the formless realm do not eradicate delusion, cannot escape the birth-and-death of saṃsāra in the three realms, and do not attain liberation.
7. After Eradicating the View of Self, Cultivating Concentration Makes It Easy to Avoid the Demonic Paths
Sentient beings have self-grasping because of the view of self; because there is a self in the mind, they grasp at the self. Therefore, the first priority in studying and practicing Buddhism is to first eradicate the view of self, then eradicate self-grasping; if the view of self is not eradicated, self-grasping cannot possibly be eradicated—this is the sequence of cultivation and cannot be reversed. Because sentient beings mistakenly take the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) to be their true self or to belong to the self, they cling to the false self of the five aggregates without letting go. Only by knowing that the five aggregates are truly not the self can one gradually eradicate self-grasping. Once the manas's self-grasping is severed, one gains the ability to extinguish the five aggregates, no longer wishing to continue possessing them, no longer wishing to suffer endlessly in the three-realm world; thus at the end of life one can extinguish the five aggregates and enter nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), thenceforth liberated from the suffering of the cycle of birth-and-death.
The World-Honored One taught sentient beings in the Āgama sūtras that the five aggregates, the eighteen realms, and all dharmas of the three-realm world are suffering, empty, impermanent, and not-self. After sentient beings realize this principle, they are no longer bound by the five aggregates and various states; when cultivating concentration, meditative concentration can quickly deepen, the first dhyāna easily arises, and one is not prone to demonic possession or going astray. The World-Honored One also taught in the Mahāyāna sūtras that all dharmas are created by the mind alone and there are no dharmas outside the mind; after sentient beings understand this principle and then cultivate concentration, they no longer grasp at various states as real, and when cultivating concentration they will even less walk into the demonic paths.
The cultivation of non-Buddhists (tīrthikas), because they do not understand the illusory nature of states, grasps at and pursues states, seeks various conditioned dharmas, enjoys feelings and experiences, and craves states; the mind is thus imprisoned within states, unable to attain liberation, unable to escape the cycle of birth-and-death. Seeking dharma outside the mind is the non-Buddhist path; non-Buddhists can never escape the cycle of birth-and-death. The Buddha-dharma says there is nothing outside the mind and states are illusory; Buddhist practitioners must cultivate the mind, not seeking things, nor seeking such illusory dharmas as the immortality of the five-aggregate body, nor craving the various conditioned dharmas of the three-realm world; only thus can one accomplish unsurpassed bodhi.
8. Only the Sequential Eradication of Afflictions Corresponds with Liberation
When contemplating that the five aggregates are not-self, realizing that the physical body is empty and not-self, this is a change in the mind's knowledge and views—no longer taking the physical body as self or belonging to self. But feelings and experiences still exist; only in profound dhyāna, by extinguishing the conscious mind, can feelings be extinguished; without the support of dhyāna, feelings will still exist. But the emptier the mind, the lighter the feelings; the less the mind cares, the less it grasps.
Eradicating the view of self and seeing the mind and seeing the nature (mingxin jianxing) merely reverses one's original knowledge and views; being able to reverse one's views is a remarkable thing. Through this reversal of views, subsequent ignorance and afflictions will be eradicated one after another, the problem of birth-and-death can be resolved, and one can attain lesser liberation and great liberation. But all the activities of the five aggregates must still continue and still exist—only without grasping, with light feelings, and with the ability to correctly handle and understand feelings, not easily creating evil karma for the sake of feelings.
What is called saṃsāra mainly refers to the mind being immersed in the cycle of birth-and-death and suffering; if the mind is not liberated, that is saṃsāra. When the mind is liberated, even though mingling with sentient beings in the six realms, one does not have those birth-and-death sufferings of sentient beings, does not undergo the karmic retribution of suffering in the six realms of saṃsāra. Therefore bodhisattvas have the ability to leave the three realms but do not leave; they deliver sentient beings within the six realms and do not belong to the birth-and-death saṃsāra of the six realms.
9. How to Cultivate the Faculties and Subdue Afflictions in One's Own Mind
Original text of the Saṃyukta Āgama, Volume 11: 有个外道弟子郁多罗。来见世尊说。我师波罗奢那说。修诸根。眼不见色。耳不听声。是名修根。世尊言。若如此。盲者是修根不。阿难问郁多罗。聋者是修根不。于是世尊以此为缘。为弟子讲述。异于外道的无上修根方法。
Explanation: A non-Buddhist disciple named Uttara came to see the World-Honored One and said: "My teacher Parāśara says that cultivating the faculties means the eye not seeing forms and the ear not hearing sounds—this is called cultivating the faculties." The World-Honored One said: "If that is so, does a blind person count as cultivating the faculties?" Ānanda asked Uttara: "Does a deaf person count as cultivating the faculties?" Thereupon, taking this as the occasion, the World-Honored One taught his disciples the unsurpassed method of cultivating the faculties, different from that of the non-Buddhists.
Original text: 世尊说。缘眼色生眼识。见可意色。修厌离。不可意色。修不厌离。可意不可意。可不可意。修厌不厌俱离舍心。住正念正智。心善调伏。善关闭。善守护。善摄持。善修习。是则于眼色。无上修根。耳鼻舌身意诸根。也如是修习。
Explanation: The World-Honored One said: Based on the eye faculty and form objects, eye consciousness arises. When seeing pleasing forms, cultivate disenchantment (nirvida), not craving or clinging to form objects; when seeing unpleasing forms, cultivate non-disenchantment; when seeing forms that are neither pleasing nor unpleasing, neither agreeable nor disagreeable, cultivate the equanimous mind that abandons both disenchantment and non-disenchantment, with the mind not dwelling on objects but abiding in right mindfulness and right awareness. Be skilled at subduing the mind, skilled at closing the mind, skilled at guarding the mind, skilled at gathering and holding the mind, skilled at cultivating the mind. This is the unsurpassed cultivation of the faculties with respect to the eye and forms; the faculties of ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind should also be cultivated in this way.
The above is the World-Honored One's method of teaching disciples to cultivate the mind and remove afflictions. First, when we see a form we like, we should not give rise to a mind of joy and delight in the mind but rather give rise to disenchantment; when seeing forms we dislike, we should not give rise to a sense of disgust in the mind—this is the initial tuning of the mind. The further tuning of the mind is that when we see all forms, whether we like them or not, the mind should neither delight nor feel disgust, dwelling in a state of mind of letting go, with the mind not attending to these forms—this is the more appropriate attitude, the wise approach.
When facing forms, be skilled at subduing the mind, guarding the mind, holding the mind, and closing the mind; do not let the mind chase outward and overflow. When the ear hears sounds, when the nose smells scents, when the tongue tastes flavors, when the body feels touches, when the manas contacts mental objects (dharma-viṣaya), in all cases be skilled at subduing the mind, guarding the mind, holding the mind, and closing the mind; do not let the mind chase outward and overflow. If this continues for a long time, the mind can attain tranquility, the power of concentration gradually deepens, and the investigation and contemplation of the Buddha-dharma will become deep and detailed, enabling one to quickly realize the fruits of the Path. Cultivation is not a matter of the eye not seeing forms, the ear not hearing sounds, the nose not smelling scents, the six faculties not contacting the six objects; rather, it is subduing our minds at the very moment the six faculties contact the six objects, being skilled at gathering and holding our minds when encountering conditions and circumstances. Without objects and conditions, there is no way to subdue the mind—just as a wild horse must be ridden and trained in the open wilderness to be tamed. A practitioner cannot avoid states in order to cultivate; one must train and cultivate the mind amid states, accepting the tests of states, so that in the future, when encountering any state, one can pass through it, the mind attaining stillness and not attaching to states.
10. People Who Do Not Crave Enjoyment Can Easily Eradicate the View of Self
The lifestyles that modern people find rather dull and tedious are actually quite nourishing to the mind. Simple living makes it easy to eradicate the view of the body and the view of self, because such a life does not easily lead to craving and attachment; the mind is relatively simple and pure, not paying much attention to or caring about the physical body, making it easy to eradicate the view of the body; the characteristic of self is also slight, making it easy to eradicate the view of self. Moreover, such a life does not waste one's blessings; with merit (puṇya) supporting one, progress on the Path will be rapid.
A true bodhisattva should cherish his own blessings and not casually consume them; therefore bodhisattvas do not indulge in enjoyment. When bodhisattvas are born into this world, they often do not choose wealthy and noble families, lest in childhood their blessings be squandered away at their parents' discretion. People nowadays do not understand or care about these matters of blessings, and unknowingly, casually, consume them through enjoyment—what a pity—and they themselves do not know it, even taking pride in enjoying wealth and splendor. Parents must be responsible toward their children and cannot casually decide on their children's behalf to consume their blessings. If those blessings are consumed away in childhood, then when they grow up their blessings will be meager, they will have many sufferings, and nothing will go smoothly. When studying Buddhism, if the blessings available for the Path are insufficient, accomplishment on the Path will be difficult.
In bygone eras, consumer goods were not so abundant and life was simple, so it was not easy to become attached to form, sound, scent, taste, and touch, and people rarely pampered the physical body; with simple thoughts, the view of the body was easily eradicated. "It is difficult to cultivate the Path amid wealth and honor, because the habit of greed is too heavy; it is difficult for the poor to practice generosity, because their blessings are thin." Therefore cultivating the Path starts from bit by bit; accumulating small to become great, accumulating little to become much, developing good habits of cultivation—one need not worry about failing to realize the Way.
