Chapter 3: Contemplative Practice (Vipaśyanā-Caryā) Experience of the White Bone Contemplation Four Mindfulness Foundations Observational Practice Experience

Chapter 3: The Contemplative Practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) Experience of the White Bone Contemplation

I. Meditative Absorption (samādhi) Is the Direct Perception Realm of the Manas (Part One)

Ru Feng's white bone contemplation journal: During the latter part of my sitting meditation, I clearly saw the blood flowing in my blood vessels; even when I did not want to look, it appeared in my mind. When I closed my eyes and rubbed my palms after getting off the cushion, a red mass appeared before my eyes, resembling orange segments inside, with the pulp still wriggling. As I continued rubbing my palms, the red mass began to turn white and brighten, and three-dimensional images appeared within it—magnified sweat pores, as well as hairs, skin flakes, red bumps, and inflamed sweat pores—which made me feel very uncomfortable. How does it happen that images appear when rubbing one's palms after getting off the cushion?

Assessment: The phenomena described in this contemplative practice journal belong to the subjectively imagined realm in meditation, which is the dharma-object of a meditative state. The dharma-object of a meditative state is cognized through direct perception by the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta); it is not cognition by inference, nor by non-valid cognition. When one first enters meditation and sits to practice contemplation, it is the solitary consciousness's non-valid imagining of the white bone contemplation; over a long period of time this permeates the manas, and the manas then presents the realm of the white bone contemplation through direct perception.

The realm presented by the manas through direct perception is the realm of meditative absorption (samādhi). Meditative absorption includes meditative concentration and wisdom; it is the realm of the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā. In the result of this contemplative practice, wisdom will certainly arise; what lacks wisdom is not the final result but an intermediate process. The subjectively imagined realm in meditation is presented by the manas through direct perception; the solitary consciousness then cognizes the white bone phenomena through direct perception. After the manas has been permeated, it will present through direct perception the realm it has cognized. Whatever realm the manas cognizes, the tathāgatagarbha manifests that realm, and the solitary consciousness cognizes that realm—this is the realm of meditative absorption.

In the realm of meditative absorption, concentration is extremely strong and wisdom is also extremely strong. Concentration is easy to understand—it means focus. But what is wisdom? Here, wisdom means having accepted that the physical body of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) is just a pile of white bones. Once the manas accepts this, the white bone contemplation is accomplished, or an intermediate stage of it is accomplished. In the final stage of practice, the white bones will be transformed into fine dust, and finally even the dust disappears—all of these are realms realized by the manas through direct perception.

After getting off the cushion, does such a dharma-object of a meditative state still exist? If the mind is not scattered, one is still in meditation, in a state of meditative absorption, and white bones will be presented whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. The first five consciousnesses cannot cognize it, and the consciousness accompanied by the five senses (pañca-sahagata-mano-vijñāna) also cannot cognize it; only the solitary consciousness can cognize it, because realms of meditative absorption are all subjectively imagined realms, cultivated individually by each person, belonging to the individual alone. There are no public external dharma-objects or external five sense-objects, so others cannot see them.

All meditative absorptions—whether the meditative absorption of a meditative state, or the realm of meditative absorption in which concentration and wisdom are equally held—are initiated by the manas. If the manas has not been successfully permeated, no wisdom arises and the realm of meditative absorption cannot appear. This includes the meditative absorption of recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), a meditative state: the mind consciousness recollects the Buddha, and after the manas has been permeated to familiarity, the manas will recollect the Buddha automatically and spontaneously—the mind consciousness does not recite, yet the manas recites. In a meditative state, if the mind consciousness feels very tired and no longer wants to recite the Buddha's name, the manas, having become habituated to reciting the Buddha, will continue reciting by itself, reciting without language or sound. This is a subjectively imagined realm, and only the solitary consciousness can hear it. Regardless of whether the mind consciousness wants to recite the Buddha's name, the manas recites by itself; even if the mind consciousness wants to control it, it cannot—this is the realm of the meditative absorption of recollection of the Buddha.

When one is in the realm of the meditative absorption of recollection of the Buddha, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, whatever one is doing, it seems as if the sound of reciting the Buddha appears by the ear; in fact it appears in the mind, not by the ear, and there is no sound—it is merely a mental thought. The sound of reciting the Buddha is not recited by the mind consciousness; the mind consciousness does not want to recite yet must listen to the sound of reciting the Buddha. How does this sound of reciting the Buddha arise? It is the manas reciting the Buddha, and the tathāgatagarbha accordingly manifests the sound of reciting the Buddha, not controlled by the mind consciousness. The manas has no language or words, yet the solitary consciousness can cognize the sound of reciting the Buddha; even if one does not want to listen, one must listen, and must keep listening.

When eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) and realizing the fruits, that is a realm of meditative absorption of obtaining purity of the dharma eye, containing preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) and the wisdom of non-arising regarding suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self. Who does this wisdom arise from? It arises from the manas. The mind consciousness ordinarily practices contemplation and permeates the manas; the manas deliberates (manasikāra/manana) on the principle of the Four Noble Truths, and finally realizes that the five aggregates are suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self, and the realm of meditative absorption of purity of the dharma eye appears. Within meditative concentration, when the manas deliberates out a result that accords with reality, wisdom is born. This meditative absorption is initiated by the manas and cognized through direct perception by the solitary consciousness. Therefore, every kind of realization of dharma is a direct-perception realization by the manas and the mind consciousness. The manas corresponds to direct perception; there is no inference and no non-valid cognition. Only dharmas actively initiated by the manas are direct perception and meditative absorption.

After the manas eradicates the view of self and realizes the fruits, it abides in the realm of meditative absorption, and the phenomenon of awakened brightness will appear; without meditative absorption there is no phenomenon of awakened brightness. The phenomenon of awakened brightness arises from the manas contacting and realizing a realm previously unknown, with mental excitement and delight; it cannot be generated by the mind consciousness. When awakened brightness arises, one is in a state of meditative concentration and meditative absorption; without meditative concentration there is no awakened brightness. In meditative absorption, afflictions are extremely slight—one may say they do not arise—and are all subdued; body and mind are tranquil and at ease (praśama), the feelings are extraordinary, and sleep is reduced. In meditative concentration, the qi and blood flow smoothly, essence is full and spirit is full, desires are subdued, and sleep is very light—one may say there is no sleep hindrance; three or four hours of sleep per day is enough. This is the realm of meditative absorption initiated by the manas.

Seeing the mind (enlightenment) is the same. After the manas realizes the original mind, it is also in a state of meditative absorption; whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one is in meditation. Prajñā wisdom arises, afflictions are extremely slight, awakened brightness is also present, body and mind are extremely tranquil, comfortable, and at ease, sleep is very little—when spirit is full, one does not crave sleep—and the mind is joyful. Abiding in this state all belongs to the realm of meditative absorption.

There is also the suchness meditative absorption (tathatā-samādhi); when it is realized, it is the same. In fact, the suchness meditative absorption belongs to the wisdom realm of tolerance of the non-arising of dharmas, that is, the wisdom of the varieties of paths and the consciousness-only seed wisdom; it cannot be realized by those who have just been enlightened—it can only be realized upon attaining the bhūmis. What is the suchness meditative absorption? Realizing the suchness nature and consciousness-only nature of all dharmas is the suchness meditative absorption.

When one sees the operation of one's own original mind in all dharmas, one knows that all dharmas have the nature of suchness, that all dharmas are suchness. At this point one enters the first bhūmi, partially realizing the selflessness of dharmas, partially realizing the tolerance of the non-arising of dharmas, partially realizing the one true dharma realm, partially realizing the liberation of the Great Vehicle—this is also called partial realization of buddhahood. Only then is there the suchness meditative absorption. Before the first bhūmi, one cannot realize the suchness nature of all dharmas; without the consciousness-only seed wisdom, one cannot see the suchness in all dharmas. The wisdom of the suchness meditative absorption is extremely deep and subtle. Before this, one can only have the prajñā wisdom of the tolerance of non-arising, not the consciousness-only wisdom; the wisdom of the tolerance of non-arising is much shallower compared to the wisdom of the suchness meditative absorption.

Question for reflection: Phenomena we ordinarily cannot see at all—why do we see them during sitting meditation? Which consciousness sees them? What realm is seen? Will they still be seen when not sitting in meditation?

II. Meditative Absorption Is the Direct Perception Realm of the Manas (Part Two)

Bai Xuexue's white bone contemplative practice journal: In the morning, sitting with eyes closed in meditation, I felt some itchiness at my right ankle bone, and suddenly saw (with eyes closed) that the itchy place on the ankle bone had ulcerated. Contemplating, I stroked it with a finger, and the flesh of the whole body fell away, leaving only the skeleton, but with blackish-red blood threads and flesh threads hanging on it—not the snow-white bones that appear at the final stage of the white bone contemplation.

I feel this is merely an intermediate process of the white bone contemplation: first the skin falls away, then the flesh, leaving tendons and bones; it appears in sequence. You cannot go from nothing at all to directly beholding white bones in one step; the practice advances step by step. This is an intermediate level; further realms will appear later, and only then will the white bones be presented—at that time the white bone contemplation will be accomplished, and the fruits will be realized.

Assessment: At the initial stage of contemplative practice, the solitary consciousness can gradually enter by means of non-valid cognition, or use non-valid methods to seek realization. The eye consciousness and mind consciousness cannot see white bones; it is the solitary consciousness imagining the body as white bones—this is non-valid cognition. Using this non-valid cognition to permeate the manas, although it is rather difficult, because the final result is fact, the manas will sooner or later see the fact. When the permeation succeeds, the manas considers the body to be white bones, and the white bone realm will be presented through direct perception—this is what the manas contemplates and beholds through direct perception.

When contemplating the five aggregates, there is also a transition from the solitary consciousness's non-valid cognition to a realm realized by the manas through direct perception. For example, contemplating the physical body of past lives and the physical body of future lives belongs to the mind consciousness's non-valid imagination, but finally, when the manas is successfully permeated, it witnesses that the five aggregates of past and future are all empty, accepts that the five aggregates are non-self, and realizes the fruits.

Why is what the manas presents always a direct perception realm? Because all of the manas's cognition is presented by the tathāgatagarbha. Whatever dharma the tathāgatagarbha presents, the manas personally relates to it; whatever it is, the manas knows it and accepts it as such. Therefore what the manas cognizes is a direct perception realm, without inference or non-valid cognition. At this time the solitary consciousness also cognizes through direct perception. When the mind consciousness practices contemplation, there may be no direct perception—there may be inference and non-valid cognition—but after the manas has been permeated, its cognition is certainly a direct perception realm.

Observing from the presented realm of the white bone contemplation, observing from the realm of meditative absorption, one should know who realizes the dharma first—it is certainly the manas that realizes the dharma first, and the solitary consciousness cognizes through direct perception afterward. The manas's realization is an instantaneous sudden enlightenment; after the sudden enlightenment, wisdom arises, completely different from previous cognitive understanding. At this time one may slap one's thigh and say: "So that's how it is!" Slapping the thigh or the forehead expresses shock—having come to know matters and principles previously unknown, overturning previous understanding. This is called sudden enlightenment, understanding suddenly.

The realization of all dharmas will manifest realms of meditative absorption. At the moment of sudden enlightenment, the realm of meditative absorption is present. If it is not sudden enlightenment but gradual understanding, it is the mind consciousness understanding bit by bit through thinking—but even then the understanding will not be exhaustive; the mysteries within the dharma remain unclear. Whereas when the manas realizes, it is a matter settled at one stroke: what is, is; what is not, is not—very real, without falsity.

The realm of meditative absorption of the white bone contemplation, and all realms of meditative absorption, cannot be seen by the five consciousnesses no matter how hard they try; the consciousness accompanied by the five senses also cannot see them; only the solitary consciousness can see them. What is cognized through direct perception is certainly a direct perception realm. The white bones cannot be seen by the five consciousnesses, nor by the consciousness accompanied by the five senses; only when the solitary consciousness and the manas have direct-perception wisdom can they be seen. When the six consciousnesses cannot see the white bones, the white bone contemplation is a non-valid contemplative practice—an imagining of white bones. When the white bones truly appear, the solitary consciousness and the manas cognize them together through direct perception, showing that all realization is a direct perception realm. If the realm is conjectured through inference or non-valid cognition, there is no realization and no realm of meditative absorption. Realizing the fruits and seeing the mind—realizing all dharmas follows this same principle. The relationship between actual realization and inferential thinking should now be very clear to us, and how to apply effort going forward should also be clear.

III. The Form Resulting from Meditative Concentration Is the Direct Perception Realization Realm of the Manas

Bai Xuexiang's white bone contemplative practice journal: In the morning, sitting with eyes closed in meditation, I felt some itchiness at my right ankle bone, and suddenly saw (with eyes closed) that the itchy place on the ankle bone had ulcerated. Contemplating, I stroked it with a finger, and the flesh of the whole body fell away, leaving only the skeleton, but with blackish-red blood threads and flesh threads hanging on it—not the snow-white bones that appear at the final stage of the white bone contemplation.

Assessment: The above realms of the white bone contemplation are all realms presented within meditation, called form resulting from meditative concentration (dhyāna-derived rūpa). Realms induced by meditative concentration are all direct perception realms, realization realms, without the slightest imaginative or deliberative function of the mind consciousness—they are all direct-perception contemplative realms of the manas. Whatever thoughts and views the manas has, whatever dharma it accepts, that is the realm presented; no falsity is possible. Such is the mighty power of the determining consciousness (the manas). In meditation, the flesh of the ankle bone rots and falls off, with the bone hanging with blood threads and flesh threads—such phenomena appear involuntarily; they are the manas's direct-perception cognitive realm, which cannot be imagined up by the mind consciousness.

If the white bone contemplation relied on the mind consciousness's deliberation and conjecture, no matter what the mind consciousness thinks the body should be like, the body simply will not obey and will never become that way, because the mind consciousness has no power and does not determine. The form resulting from meditative concentration arises from the manas, never from the mind consciousness. But in the early stage of the white bone contemplation, the mind consciousness plays the role of guiding the manas into the contemplative realm, having the function of guiding and permeating the manas; therefore the mind consciousness's contribution is also considerable.

The above contemplative practice is indeed a process of contemplative practice; the white bone contemplation is not yet complete—the bones are not clean enough, the color not white and pure enough—showing that the practitioner still has some karmic obstructions not eliminated, the mind not pure enough, and the power of meditative concentration not strong enough. Further, deeper contemplative practice is still needed to complete the white bone contemplation, eradicate the view of self, and obtain purity of the dharma eye.

IV. Question: When the white bone contemplation truly enters a meditative state and the white bones appear, is there still breathing? I have tried the white bone contemplation for a long time, but it remains imagination in the mind consciousness; I cannot bring about the bone marks appearing at the level of the manas's realm. Is this because the permeation is insufficient?

Answer: If one can cease breathing—having no breathing, this bodily formation—it must be in a meditative state of the fourth dhyāna or above. Below the fourth dhyāna there are all breathing phenomena, not including the fourth dhyāna. The process of cultivating the white bone contemplation generally takes place in meditative concentration below the first dhyāna, including the first dhyāna, so of course there is breathing. Even when the white bone contemplation is realized and the white bones appear, it is still a realm of meditative absorption below the first dhyāna, and of course there is still breathing. All meditative concentrations below the fourth dhyāna have breathing; from the second dhyāna upward there is no longer initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra), and the white bone contemplation will not appear. Therefore, when the meditative absorption of the white bone contemplation appears, there is certainly still breathing.

The entire contemplative process of the white bone contemplation begins with the solitary consciousness doing the contemplating, continuously permeating the manas so that the manas also contemplates. When the manas's contemplation succeeds, the form resulting from meditative concentration appears, and the meditative absorption of the white bone contemplation will be present. At that point one actually realizes the white bone contemplation and obtains purity of the dharma eye. To whatever degree the manas has been permeated, that is the degree of white bone contemplation realm there will be; if the permeation has not succeeded, no realm of meditative absorption of the white bone contemplation will appear.

V. Can the Sun Contemplation Method from the Contemplation Sutra Be Used to Cultivate the White Bone Contemplation?

The sun contemplation in the Contemplation of the Buddha of Infinite Life Sutra and the cultivation method of the white bone contemplation are the same, and the difficulty is about the same—not too difficult. All methods of contemplation and verification are roughly similar. The earth contemplation and water contemplation after the sun contemplation are rather difficult; the sun contemplation is not too difficult, but contemplation is still not easy—it takes one or two years. Quite a few people have contemplated for two years, and no one has been heard to have succeeded; by now they have probably all given up halfway.

True cultivation is not that easy; realizing any kind of meditative absorption is not easy. If one gives up cultivation and transmigrates in birth-and-death, the suffering is even greater. Relatively speaking, cultivating is easier and happier than not cultivating. Whether cultivation is easy also depends on the person—everything depends on human effort. Those who easily give up halfway lack firmness of will; having no experience at all in cultivation and feeling the road ahead is vast and uncertain—often such people are also not firm in worldly matters. Those who easily give up halfway are the same in the realization of the Buddha's dharma.

The white bone contemplation requires several years of contemplation; the fast can accomplish it in two or three years—this depends on spiritual faculties (indriya). In the Saha world, those with fairly good faculties are far too few. There is also the contemplation of the contemplation-of-an-image recollection of the Buddha method; the methods of applying effort are all roughly similar. Although the methods are similar, all results involve the appearance of meditative absorption. But because the objects contemplated differ, what is realized differs: contemplating the emptiness of the five aggregates realizes the Small Vehicle fruits; contemplating the Great Vehicle prajñā and consciousness-only realizes the Great Vehicle fruits. The starting point of Great Vehicle contemplative practice is high and requires a foundation of Small Vehicle contemplative practice. Accomplishing the sun contemplation has no great connection for the time being with realizing the fruits or seeing the mind, but the power of meditative concentration is excellent; using this power of meditative concentration to contemplate other dharmas, accomplishment will come quickly.

In the sixteen contemplations of the Contemplation Sutra, only at the seventh contemplation can one see the mind; the earlier contemplations cannot bring about seeing the mind. But when the realm of meditative absorption of the third contemplation appears, rebirth in the land of bliss (sukhāvatī) at the end of life is guaranteed. Accomplishing the white bone contemplation can eradicate the view of self and realize from the first fruit to the fourth fruit. Accomplishing the contemplation of recollecting the Buddha through an image is not merely simple seeing of the mind—one may possibly reach the first bhūmi. This must be judged by combining each person's wisdom realization and meditative concentration realization, all conditions taken together. The entry methods of contemplative practice do not differ much.

VI. The Process of Cultivating the White Bone Contemplation

Question: In recent days I have been imagining and comparing the skeletal images of the whole body and looking at photographs of the whole body's skeleton. The images of the bones of various parts of the body appearing in my mind are as clear as the various objects in my home. When the body moves, the image of the whole skeleton in my mind moves along with it, and I feel very settled; mental scatteredness has also lightened considerably. Is my contemplative practice correct?

Answer: This is the initial preparatory work of the white bone contemplation, all done by the mind consciousness. The mind consciousness must collect materials, organize, categorize, and analyze them, then deduce and imagine the image of the white bones. But no matter how the mind consciousness deduces and imagines, meditative absorption will not appear, because these actions are not direct perception. No matter how firmly the mind confirms that the white bones are like this, no direct-perception realm of meditative absorption will appear. Just as no matter how the mind consciousness imagines the sixteen contemplations of the Contemplation Sutra, no direct-perception realm of meditative absorption of any of the sixteen contemplations will appear—even the simplest sunset contemplation's meditative absorption will not appear—because the manas has not matured its contemplation, or the manas has not yet begun contemplating.

The material-collecting work done by the mind consciousness is like the work of a small secretary: after organizing these materials completely and meticulously, they must be submitted to the manas, the leader, and then there is not much more to do—just wait for the leader's next instruction. After the manas reviews these materials, if it considers them important, it will set aside its other work and study this material exclusively, focusing its attention and concentrating on deliberating the material. Gradually the mind comes to understand the specific content of the material, discovers the facts, and only then is wisdom born and meditative absorption appears.

The initial work done by the mind consciousness described above is basically correct. When comparing and viewing skeletal structure diagrams and imagining the bones, one is transmitting information to the manas, permeating the manas, shifting the manas's attention to the contemplation of the bones. Now there is some preliminary effect, but the mind consciousness's contemplation needs to be further strengthened, and the manas needs further permeation, so that the manas's grasping becomes less and less, its attention more and more focused, and its power of concentration stronger and stronger. When the mind consciousness's contemplation is very clear and the power of concentration is strong, the mind consciousness need not contemplate so forcefully, and even less should it do such simple, elementary things as thinking, analyzing, organizing, and categorizing—there is no need. Just remain unmoving on mindfulness of the body, and let the manas focus on deliberation. Effort needs to accumulate bit by bit, and gradually the realm of meditative absorption will appear naturally, as water flows and a channel forms.

Those who take the mind consciousness's most elementary functions of inference, organizing, categorizing, analyzing, and so on as the ultimate method of realizing the fruits are simply too shallow; these functions of the mind consciousness are far from eradicating the view of self and realizing the fruits. All methods of applying effort on the level of the mind consciousness are the emotional thoughts and intellectual interpretations that were vigorously castigated by all the Chan patriarchs of the past who had direct-perception realization; people of wisdom do not take these as ultimate. If the mind consciousness's method of thinking prevails, whether in the Great Vehicle or the Small Vehicle, all will inevitably go astray, and the realization of Buddhism will surely perish. Without realization, only views remain, and gradually even the views will become incomplete, and Buddhism will be destroyed.

Nowadays people lack merit and wisdom, digging up what the patriarchs threw into the garbage heap and revering it as treasure. But promoting realization of the fruits by the mind consciousness is an act of destroying the Buddha's dharma. Those who promote realization of the fruits by the mind consciousness should promptly repent and correct themselves, and should not continue down the wrong path, or the consequences will be unimaginable. A great man can stand upright between heaven and earth; when wrong, he must promptly correct himself, without seeking empty fame. Whether there is fruit or not is not decided by anyone—it is decided by the tathāgatagarbha. If it accords with the facts of realizing the fruits, the tathāgatagarbha will naturally present the retribution corresponding to a noble one, and no one's denial is of any use. Likewise, if it does not accord with the facts of realizing the fruits, the tathāgatagarbha will only present the retribution of an ordinary being who has not realized the fruits; no matter what, it will not present the retribution of a noble one who has realized the fruits. No one's confirmation of the fruit is of any use, and there is also the unlovely retribution of great false speech—in the end the loss outweighs the gain. The wise should reflect well.

VII. Why Can Cultivating the White Bone Contemplation Eradicate the View of Self and Realize from the First Fruit to the Fourth Fruit?

Because of foolish ignorance (avidyā) since beginningless kalpas, ordinary sentient beings, lacking meditative concentration and wisdom, can only observe and cognize the five aggregates and all dharmas roughly, on the surface level, unable to observe them in essence and ultimate meaning. Therefore they have always taken the physical body as truly existent dharma, and also taken the functions of the conscious mind as truly existent dharma, not knowing their suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self—this is a mistaken cognition of the five aggregates. Through cultivating the white bone contemplation, the power of concentration grows deeper and deeper, and the power of observation grows stronger and more subtle, able to clearly observe the arising, ceasing, and mutation of the physical body. The truth of the body's emptiness will surface; the flesh of the whole physical body presents the appearance of white bones, and finally even the white bones become empty—thus the view of the body and the view of self are eradicated.

The entire contemplative process is in a state of meditative absorption. The bone marks and emptiness marks of the body's flesh and bones are direct perception realms appearing naturally, not non-valid realms imagined and deduced out of thin air by the mind consciousness. All meditative absorptions are initiated by the manas and are all direct-perception wisdom cognitive realms of the manas, without the slightest component of the mind consciousness's inference or non-valid cognition. Within meditative absorption, the mind consciousness can only know passively, moving and knowing according to the manas. Before meditative absorption, the mind consciousness can have the active function of thinking and observing, guiding the manas onto the path; then meditative concentration deepens more and more, the initial meditative absorption of a meditative state appears, the mind consciousness's force of function grows smaller and smaller, and the manas's function of observation and deliberation grows larger and larger. When the manas truly sees the dharma, wisdom is presented, and the true meditative absorption of the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā appears—at that point the fruits are realized.

Without meditative concentration, the manas cannot focus on facing the physical body and the five aggregates, cannot truly deliberate and see the dharma, does not know the true appearance of the physical body and five aggregates, and wisdom cannot appear. The white bone contemplation can give rise to meditative concentration; meditative concentration induces wisdom; finally the view of self is eradicated and the fruits realized. The white bones, which at first seemed impossible, finally appear in the mind—this is the form resulting from meditative concentration. Seeing the white bones of the form resulting from meditative concentration, one knows the physical body is not self; the meditative absorption of the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā appears, purity of the dharma eye is obtained, and the fruits are realized.

VIII. Continuous Contemplative Practice Is the Manas's Kung-fu

Bai Xuexiang's white bone contemplative practice journal: When I first began studying the dharma meaning of "contemplating the body as impure" in the four foundations of mindfulness, I bought forensic dissection videos and some pictures of Tibetan sky burials as references. Watching these videos or pictures quietly at night, the manas, following the eye-seeing of the mind consciousness, could give rise to the thought that the flesh body is not me. The original intention was to cultivate contemplating the body as impure; later, what I often concluded from reflection was that the flesh body is not me, not I, an illusory me, a false me, a marionette. Every time before sleeping I contemplated that the body is not me; upon waking I contemplated that the flesh body is not me.

This went on for nearly two years. One day, waking from an afternoon nap (before opening my eyes), I suddenly saw the flesh of the soles of my feet flowing away like sand, all the way up to the knees, the flesh flowing away. I thought I was dreaming, so I opened my eyes and found I was awake and not dreaming. So I closed my eyes again, and then saw the flesh of the body continuing to flow away like sand, until I saw only the entire skull remaining—but the bones were black, not white. I analyzed it: seeing black bones was probably because I had not yet passed the test of emotional attachment (to parents, children, relatives, and the like), so I contemplated more on breaking through delusion at this point of emotional attachment (recently I have come to understand it somewhat). A while ago, practicing the four foundations of mindfulness together with everyone, sitting half-lotus, shortly after sitting down, I saw the flesh at the thigh bone crack open. Then I saw the flesh of the whole body falling away bit by bit, with bright red threads of tendons still hanging, not yet completely fallen.

Assessment: Bai Xuexiang's contemplative kung-fu has achieved continuity. Only when the dharma meaning has settled into the manas can the kung-fu be continuous—contemplating by day, contemplating by night, contemplating before sleep, contemplating after waking, and contemplating even while asleep, whether dreaming or not. When not dreaming, the manas contemplates alone; when dreaming, the manas urges the mind consciousness to think and contemplate. The mind consciousness's kung-fu is intermittent and cannot be continuous. Because the manas's contemplative kung-fu is continuous, over time the cognition of the physical body changes; once it changes, upon awakening to the fact that the flesh body is not self, the flesh falls away from the bones, flesh and bone separating. This is a preliminary realm of meditative absorption; there is still some distance from the final realm of meditative absorption of eradicating the view of self. As long as the causal conditions for seeing the path are further perfected, seeing the path will come soon.

This is a practical example of the white bone contemplation's contemplative practice, offered as a model of cultivation to inspire everyone who practices contemplation: as long as one diligently and energetically continues contemplating without interruption, the kung-fu will keep advancing, the view of self will certainly be eradicated—the Buddha does not deceive me. It all depends on the individual's various causal conditions, mainly on the initial resolve and merit. Making the great bodhi resolve, having the mind to escape suffering, diligently cultivating merit and precepts, concentration, and wisdom—the contemplative kung-fu will flourish daily, and results will finally appear.

IX. The Method of Extinguishing Suffering

Question: With this white bone contemplation and the thirty-six impure substances of the contemplation of impurity, when contemplating one's own body, wherever one contemplates, that place relaxes. I feel that wherever I contemplate, the mind's grasping (upādāna) toward that place lightens, and so it relaxes. Is that right?

Answer: Right. The body's state of tension arises because of grasping in the mind: whatever part is grasped at, that part becomes tense and stiff. So the body's condition is also caused by emotions. Remove the emotions, relax the mental state, and the body relaxes. When contemplating the thirty-six impure substances in the body, contemplate with an objective attitude; contemplate as if what is being contemplated is not one's own body but an object outside the body. Without grasping at the body, when the mind is somewhat empty, the body becomes soft; the emptier the mind, the softer the body. Also, when meditative concentration appears, the body also becomes soft.

Cultivating the white bone contemplation and contemplation of impurity can extinguish suffering. If one contemplates the thirty-six substances in one's own body, wherever one contemplates, that place relaxes. Because grasping toward the contemplated object lightens, and the mind does not grasp, there is relaxation. So the body's problems are ultimately problems of the mind; if the mind is handled well and the mind is empty, many problems are solved. If a Buddhist practitioner follows conditions in daily life without deliberately pursuing, without being picky, without grasping, life will be very relaxed and at ease—anything goes, it doesn't matter, everything follows conditions, with the mind single-pointedly on the Path—what suffering could there be to speak of? Why is it that a person who has attained the Path has no suffering in the mind no matter what life is like? Because they know the world of the five aggregates is empty, do not grasp, and use things according to conditions—using them if available, and not minding if unavailable.

The feelings of suffering experienced by body and mind all arise from the manas's grasping; without grasping, there is no feeling of suffering. The knots and bonds in the mind are also produced by grasping; knots and bonds are ropes—with knots and bonds there is blockage and obstruction. When there is no grasping, the mental state is open, spacious, and unobstructed—ascending to heaven or entering earth, following my will. When feeling suffering, one should think: what have I grasped at in the past and now that has produced such suffering? All suffering has a cause; only by finding the cause, the root cause of the problem, is there a way to extinguish the fruit of suffering.

X. An Example of Cultivating Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom Together

Yao Ling's śamatha-vipaśyanā journal: A couple of days ago I was on holiday, going out and visiting relatives. Every day I tried as much as possible to raise the white bone contemplation, contemplating an image of white bones hanging in the mind. In dealing with people and affairs, my attitude was calm and mild, just conforming to etiquette—few words, little emotional movement, greatly reducing afflictions, and afterward not dwelling on them. During the day, not stained by too many afflictions, at night when sitting in meditation and closing my eyes, I found my mind was not too scattered, body and mind not very tense, so entering the state with breath contemplation and reciting the Buddha was easy. If during the day too many grasping thoughts arise in the mind, it is like water freezing into ice; at night in meditation one must melt the ice back into water, requiring much extra effort.

"Contemplating the body as impure" is the cause—is not "no mark of self, no mark of person, no mark of sentient beings" the fruit? Isn't this precisely what the Diamond Sutra teaches as "contemplating the body as impure"? Since there is no mark of self or person, greed, hatred, and delusion have no root—toward whom would one give rise to greed, hatred, and arrogance? The mind can easily remain calm and stable. The Laṅkāvatāra Sutra says this kind of contemplation of impurity and white bone contemplation is "the Chan practiced by the foolish"—am I not a fool? I should raise this kind of right mindfulness more.

Assessment: This kind of cultivation perfectly integrates precepts, concentration, and wisdom; the effect is very good, with both concentration and wisdom clearly evident. The manifestation of precepts is that the mind gives rise to no thoughts, no afflictions; dealing with people conforms to etiquette, and the attitude is tranquil and peaceful. The manifestation of concentration is a calm attitude, an undisturbed mind, quickly entering the state with breath contemplation and reciting the Buddha. The manifestation of wisdom is, first, being able to quickly enter the contemplative state, and second, being able to use the principles in the Diamond Sutra and the Laṅkāvatāra Sutra for comparison and permeation to subdue oneself, quickly improving the kung-fu of meditative concentration. Achieving wisdom leading concentration and concentration giving birth to wisdom, concentration and wisdom are perfectly fused. Such cultivation has entered the right track; after precepts, concentration, and wisdom are further strengthened, eradicating the view of self will begin to take shape.

Many people in cultivation cannot keep the precepts; facing objects, the mind arises repeatedly. Many of the afflictions the mind gives rise to are not imposed by others but arise groundlessly from oneself—seeing dharmas as truly existent on the realm of emptiness, giving rise to grasping thoughts, with disputes of self and other, right and wrong, unceasing, yet not self-aware. Even when others remind them, not only are they unconvinced, they even feel aversion and harbor resentment. This is still far from cultivation—the sense of self is too heavy. The result of not keeping precepts in this way is that meditative concentration can never be cultivated well, leading to a lack of wisdom in both worldly dharma and Buddha-dharma. Therefore afflictions are the natural enemy of wisdom.

XI. Why, in Contemplation, Is What Is Seen with One's Own Eyes Easier to Contemplate Than What Is Imagined Out of Thin Air?

What is seen with one's own eyes involves the direct-perception seeing of the five consciousnesses and the consciousness accompanied by the five senses, as well as the direct-perception seeing of the manas. Because the mind consciousness has seen it, it can make it easy for the mind consciousness to recall. What is not seen with one's own eyes has not been experienced by either the mind consciousness or the manas; there is no direct-perception cognition, and it relies entirely on the mind consciousness's non-valid imagination, with the manas unable to exert force—so contemplation is rather difficult. In the past, those who cultivated the white bone contemplation, having no actual white bones for reference, relied entirely on the power of concentration to contemplate. Nowadays there are many white bone models available for direct observation as reference; as long as one finds a way to buy a model and observes it carefully every day, thinking of it day and night, practicing contemplation deeply, cultivating the white bone contemplation to appear before one becomes somewhat easier.