Chapter One: The Theory of Contemplation on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (2)

Thirteen: How does contemplation lead to an empty mind?

Having practiced the contemplation on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, specifically mindfulness of the body and mindfulness of breathing, for some time, what discoveries and realizations have you had regarding the phenomenon of breathing within yourself? From observing localized breathing to whole-body breathing, from the subtle aspects of breathing to observing the entire process, what have you observed? Have you clearly perceived the impermanence of breathing – its arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing? Regarding the entire bodily condition, do you have a sense of its arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing? Has your perception of the material body become somewhat empty?

To gain more genuine realization, during the observation process, try not to engage in analytical thinking with the conscious mind. Perceive objectively, experience personally, forget all learned theoretical knowledge, and rely purely on personal perception. When contemplating, adopt a high vantage point, grasp the whole, then condense the whole into a single point for observation. Do not merge with sensations, do not focus solely on feelings. Perceive with the mind separated from the body; let the mind leap out from the body, leap out from sensations, leap out from the breath. Only when the mind and body are completely separated can objective truth and facts be discovered. Look down, overlook, survey from a bird's-eye view, as if observing an unrelated object. This way, you can view the body objectively, view the breath objectively, view all phenomena arising on the body objectively. This makes it easy to perceive the phenomena of the material body's arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, and the mind easily becomes empty.

Fourteen: How to cultivate good habits for spiritual practice

It is very worthwhile to spend a certain amount of time and effort cultivating good habits for spiritual practice. Just as mass production requires time, effort, and cost to create a mold – this stage consumes effort and time – once the mold is made, producing goods later saves immense time and cost, achieving twice the result with half the effort, saving at least fourfold to countless times the time and cost. This is extremely worthwhile. The stage of cultivating spiritual habits is arduous, marked by successes and failures, advances and retreats, making it difficult to persevere. At this time, it is necessary to have someone nearby to urge you on; having a companion to mutually supervise makes it easier. What good habits need to be cultivated? This requires each individual to consciously choose based on their own situation, thereby changing secular habits inconsistent with Dharma principles and practice, and fostering good habits of a spiritual practitioner.

Observing the breath is the initial entry point for contemplation, a good method for cultivating correct perception, right knowledge, and right mindfulness. It can cultivate meticulous awareness and introspective power, effectively counteracting unwholesome secular habits. Examine what changes have occurred in your mental states during daily life, whether your attitude towards people, affairs, and objects has shifted, whether your mental states are somewhat purified, whether attachment to forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and mental objects has lessened, whether you can be more accepting when encountering unsatisfactory events, whether you are less critical, whether interpersonal relationships have improved somewhat with more affinity, whether your nature is somewhat kinder, whether your mental state is somewhat more peaceful, whether instances of employing unwholesome thoughts have decreased, whether you have become somewhat more magnanimous.

If, upon examination, you find you indeed have the various changes mentioned above, it indicates your practice is on the right path; the contemplation on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is effective. Continuously examine your mental conduct from all aspects, summarize promptly, know good and evil, maintain and consolidate good results, improve unwholesome habits, cultivate good habits. This way, wholesome roots and merit accumulate increasingly thickly, and precepts, concentration, and wisdom progressively increase.

Fifteen: The difference between dull concentration and clear concentration

Dull concentration occurs during sitting meditation when one is in a state between sleep and wakefulness, dull and hazy, the mind unclear, without an object of focus, lacking illuminating power, contemplative power, or awareness. It feels like a state of rest and mental nourishment; the body feels relatively comfortable, but there is no wisdom of contemplation. If there is no object of focus in the mind, there is no thought or reflection, or one is dull, lacking thinking power and contemplative power. Indulging in sensory experiences within this concentration leads to very slow progress in meditation. The mental state may improve somewhat, but it does nothing to generate wisdom and is not right concentration. Dull concentration is not right concentration; it lacks sufficient concentration power to generate contemplative wisdom, hence lacks wisdom power. Without wisdom power, one cannot dispel the ignorance and afflictions within the mind.

Clear concentration, however, is when the mind is awake and clear during sitting meditation, with an object of focus. There is illuminating power, contemplative power, and awareness towards the object of focus. It balances concentration and wisdom and belongs to right concentration. It possesses sufficient concentration power to generate wise contemplation regarding phenomena, thereby dispelling ignorance. Clear concentration is right concentration; within this concentration, the mind has the power of wisdom, can spark wisdom, subdue afflictions, eradicate afflictions, and break through the fundamental ignorance.

If, within dull concentration, the mind can arouse right mindfulness, it can transform into clear concentration. If clear concentration lasts too long and the mind becomes fatigued, it can also transform into dull concentration. To maintain mental clarity, first, the body must be regulated smoothly, with qi and blood flowing freely and spirit full of vitality, enabling the mind to maintain right mindfulness without loss. Body and mind depend on each other; when the body's qi and blood circulate smoothly, the mind becomes light and joyful, easy to enter concentration. When mental power concentrates on the dantian (lower abdomen), the dantian warms up, sending qi and blood throughout the body. When qi and blood flow freely, the mind easily stabilizes.

When contemplation enters dull concentration during thinking and contemplation, contemplation stops. If practicing according to the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness), the mind always has an object of focus; if lost, retrieve it. When dull, become clear; the mind remains constantly clear, and both concentration and wisdom increase rapidly. When the mind has concentration, the meaning of the contemplation method is clear and distinct; without concentration, it is vague and unclear. Concentration can induce the contemplative wisdom of the Āgamas (scriptures on liberation) and Prajñāpāramitā-Vijñaptimātratā (Perfection of Wisdom and Consciousness-Only). This is the principle. Some people distort this, saying that realizing the fruit and understanding the mind do not require concentration. Even when searching for something, concentration is needed; without concentration, one cannot remember where something was placed, let alone the great matter of life and death. How can a chaotic mind solve and handle it?

Sixteen: What is called mindfulness of in-breath, mindfulness of out-breath, and dwelling in mindfulness?

Regarding the Dharma currently being contemplated, being focused, single-minded, and without scattered thoughts is right mindfulness. Right mindfulness is the thought that should be maintained in the present moment, consistent with the object of contemplation, and it is a direct, present-moment awareness. For example, when contemplating the in-breath, all attention is on the in-breath, from the beginning when the breath enters through the nostrils until the breath reaches the dantian. The entire process is observed with focused, single-minded attention, purely objective observation, without activities of the thinking mind like analysis, reasoning, or imagination. It is merely pure knowing; other phenomena are not attended to, no mental effort is applied, nor are bodily sensations observed. The mind is not on sensations, only on the in-breath. It is the same with the out-breath; both in-breath and out-breath are observed this way. The same applies to cultivating any other Dharma. This is correct; it is the correct, principle-conforming method of exertion. Focusing the mind single-pointedly, balancing concentration and wisdom, impartial and centered, is the way to enter the path.

Seventeen: What is the result of dwelling in right knowledge?

Maintaining awareness every day, every moment, having concentration and wisdom, dwelling in right knowledge – this is the contemplative method taught by the Buddha in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. Maintaining awareness is the self-witnessing aspect of consciousness, knowing the observed Dharma. Continuously observing with sustained awareness means confining consciousness to the one place being observed, preventing the mind from scattering, keeping it in a state of concentration. Because consciousness is not scattered and is fixed on one Dharma, the manas (mind root, seventh consciousness) cannot pull consciousness away and is thus compelled to also fixate on that one Dharma, unable to scatter and grasp at many dharmas. Then manas will know the Dharma observed and known by consciousness; manas will deliberate on this Dharma. Over time, the essence of this Dharma will become clear, and the truth will be discovered. This is the process from the knowing of consciousness to the knowing of manas, and it is also the process of realizing the Dharma. The knowing of consciousness is understanding; the knowing of manas is realization. Therefore, realizing the Dharma must be the realization by manas.

Only when manas knows and realizes the Dharma does it have substantial effect. For example, regarding one's own mistakes: if manas does not know, only consciousness knows, a situation arises where consciousness knows the mistake but it is repeatedly committed without correction. If manas knows the mistake, it will thoroughly reform. Similarly, in dealing with people, it's easy to discern whether one's kindness is genuine or false. Consciousness may treat people insincerely; manas treats people with genuine sincerity.

If we truly wish to correct our mistakes and subdue the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, we must constantly maintain vigilance, examine our bodily, verbal, and mental actions. Through long-term, calm, and objective observation, observing from outside, observing from a high vantage point looking down, we will observe our own mistakes and afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. We will feel our mental conduct is very un-Dharmic and know that the result of un-Dharmic conduct is very bad. Once manas also becomes aware of one's own afflictions and habits, it will deliberate, after deliberation it will weigh the pros and cons, after weighing it will know the advantages, disadvantages, and causes and effects, and then it will decide to eliminate greed, hatred, and delusion, no longer acting as before.

Without long-term, consistent observation and contemplation, one cannot fix manas on the observed Dharma. Manas will still grasp everywhere, scattered and chaotic, not knowing the Dharma, not realizing the Dharma, not knowing one has afflictions, and unable to subdue afflictions. This is the result of maintaining right knowledge and right mindfulness: it can awaken the enlightenment of manas, enabling manas to realize the Dharma. 

Some people even shout about contemplation every day without cultivating concentration. What can such contemplation observe? For example, one person looking after ten children versus concentrating on looking after one child – how much does the level of meticulousness differ? One person observing enemies in ten directions versus concentrating on observing enemies in one direction, one location – how much does the level of meticulousness differ? One person considering ten problems simultaneously versus concentrating wholeheartedly on one problem – how much does the level of meticulousness differ? Without concentration, manas grasps at various dharmas everywhere; it has no mind to focus on contemplating one relatively valuable issue. Regarding this valuable issue, there is no principle-conforming observation and deliberation, no correct, principle-conforming cognition, no proper, Dharma-conforming treatment. It is easy to overlook some problems, decisions will be erroneous, and results will be wrong. Therefore, constantly maintaining awareness in the mind will gradually give rise to wise cognition, thereby changing oneself and enhancing one's wisdom.

Eighteen: The process and result of contemplation

After contemplating the breath until the mind quiets down, one will discover that the respiratory system is like an automated program, similar to inanimate objects, as if it were something external to the body. Finally, one will perceive that the body is also like an inanimate object – not self, not belonging to self. This is progress on the path; this is the desired effect. Later, there will be more new discoveries. This quantitative change will transition into qualitative change. At the moment of qualitative change, one will discover that the five aggregates body is entirely false, illusory, impermanent, non-self, and empty. Gradually, the mind will detach from the physical body, detach from feelings. The self divides into two parts: one is the observed inanimate material body organizational system, like a rigid machine; the other is the observing conscious mind, turning very slowly, with emotions and attachments becoming increasingly slight, the mental state becoming increasingly stable and calm, sensations also becoming fewer, leaving only pure observation and knowing, yet awareness becoming increasingly powerful, the mind increasingly subtle, discovering more and more truths. Later still, one will find that the observer and the observed become increasingly mechanical, increasingly empty, increasingly non-self, ignorance becomes increasingly thin, and finally, ignorance can be broken, and the view of self can be severed.

Nineteen: The relationship between contemplative skill and severing afflictions

Regardless of what Dharma is contemplated, to realize it, one must make the contemplative skill continuous and uninterrupted. How to make the skill continuous? It means extending the concentration skill developed during seated meditation stillness into bodily activities, extending it throughout the day and night, moment to moment without interruption. Pay attention to observe whether, after rising from meditation, you can still sustain contemplation and awareness continuously; whether during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, you can sustain contemplation and awareness continuously; whether when about to fall asleep, you can still sustain contemplation and awareness continuously; even whether during sleep, in dreams, you can still sustain contemplation and awareness; whether while doing all things, you can sustain contemplation and awareness continuously. If you observe that your contemplative skill is intermittent, that mental states frequently and inadvertently flow into secular dharmas, then constantly remind yourself to shift attention back to contemplation. If broken, reconnect it, striving to make the skill continuous.

If, during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, all mental states are contemplating your own material body, or most mental states, the primary mental states, are contemplating your own material body, such concentration power is quite good. If awareness and right mindfulness can be maintained at all times, the skill has become continuous. Such concentration power fulfills access concentration (upacāra-samādhi), sufficient to sever the view of self. When contemplative and awareness skill becomes continuous, moment to moment focused on one's own material body, there will no longer be any mind to violate precepts, no mind to create unwholesome karma. At this time, the mind becomes purified, afflictions become thin. Therefore, it is said that concentration can effectively subdue and eradicate afflictions.

Before attaining the path of seeing (darśana-mārga), one must possess access concentration. When access concentration is attained, the five coarse grades of desire-realm afflictions are severed. At this time, one can become a candidate for the first fruit (srota-āpanna-phala-pratipannaka), not far from the first fruit. If access concentration is not yet attained, or if there is no access concentration at all, then do not think about severing the view of self and realizing the first fruit. Attaining the fruit without concentration is mere talk, it cannot become reality.

Twenty: Actual practice requires constant examination of results

The entire process of observing the breath should not only involve effort on the body; more effort should be applied to the mind. After all, cultivating all dharmas is for cultivating the mind. The mind is the master of the body. Once the body is regulated to a certain degree and no longer affects the mind, then effort should be applied to the mind. Once the mind is regulated well and becomes quiet, the body will also become regulated accordingly. The ultimate function lies in the mind; the body no longer needs excessive attention.

Observing the breath aims to change mental states, mental conduct, and mental nature. After rising from meditation, in interpersonal interactions and encountering situations, examine what changes have occurred in your mental conduct during daily life, whether your attitude towards people, affairs, and objects has shifted, whether your mental states are somewhat purified, whether attachment to forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and mental objects has lessened, whether you are more accepting, less critical, whether interpersonal relationships have improved somewhat, whether your nature has improved somewhat, whether your mental state is somewhat more peaceful, whether matters requiring mental effort have decreased, whether you have become somewhat more magnanimous, whether others feel more affinity towards you. What are the reactions of body and mind, what is the mental state, how are the afflictions, what changes have occurred in mentality – these are all results after contemplation and are most telling.

Has the mind's capacity enlarged? Has tolerance towards others increased? Are considerations of problems more long-term and macro? Has compassion for sentient beings increased? Has sense of responsibility strengthened? Has the great bodhicitta increased? Is the resolve for the path firm? Is the mind connected to Buddhism and sentient beings? These are all contents for examining practice. If the gap is still large, then the path of seeing is still far away, requiring continued effort, diligent exertion, and application of the mind. In short, examine your mental conduct from all aspects, summarize promptly, know good and evil, maintain and consolidate good results, improve unwholesome habits. This way, wholesome roots and merit accumulate increasingly thickly, and precepts, concentration, and wisdom progressively increase.

Twenty-one: The merit and benefit of practicing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness

Practicing according to the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Great Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness), concentration power continuously strengthens. You will feel increasing benefit from the practice. Persisting in observing the breath and the material body during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, the mind becomes increasingly quiet, increasingly subtle. Finally, all changing phenomena of the material body from head to toe, inside and out, can be observed. The mind is very sharp and wise. This is all due to concentration. Without cultivating concentration, the mind is very coarse; no conditions inside or outside the material body can be observed or discovered, especially one's own internal afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, various ignorances – firstly, cannot be discovered; secondly, cannot be subdued. Therefore, one must cultivate concentration, cultivate the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, to increase contemplative wisdom, subdue afflictions, and not create or create less unwholesome karma.

During the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the mind becomes increasingly quiet. When quiet to a certain degree, and conditions and timing are ripe, upon encountering a Dharma or a condition, one can immediately introspect and investigate. The deliberative nature of manas, without language, words, or sound, becomes active. Then, inspiration is immediately obtained, and it is possible to realize the Dharma. If concentration is well cultivated, the mind becomes very agile, concentration power is strong, able to constantly focus on the observed Dharma, knowing one's own body and mind internally and externally. Whatever external phenomena appear, although the mind is very clear about them, one can manage to ignore them, not be moved, have no sense of self-existence, not take oneself seriously. When internal afflictions arise, the mind clearly knows them yet can refrain from following the afflictions to create karmic actions. This is the merit of concentration: the mind is pure, able to subdue afflictions.

When afflictions lessen somewhat, attachment to the world decreases and lightens. One becomes unwilling to spend more time and energy on secular affairs; many things seem unimportant. With single-minded focus on the path, the power of vows becomes vast, and practice enters the right track. Attaining the path of seeing is only a matter of time.

Twenty-two: Practicing the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is a process from ignorant knowing to clear knowing

This Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta is not merely a sutta for cultivating concentration; it is also a sutta where śamatha (calm abiding) and vipaśyanā (insight) operate simultaneously. The result of śamatha and vipaśyanā is the arising of wisdom. This wisdom is the wisdom that severs the view of self, the wisdom that purifies the Dharma-eye and liberates the mind. The so-called wisdom of liberation means that through observation, when the observed Dharma is correctly observed as it truly is to a certain degree, ignorant knowing transforms into clear knowing. Former knowing was ignorant knowing that did not understand the Dharma; present knowing is clear knowing that understands the true meaning of the Dharma, understanding that all these observed dharmas, the five aggregates body and mind, are subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, changing, suffering, empty, and non-self. At this time, the liberation wisdom of the Small Vehicle (Hīnayāna) arises. After severing greed and hatred afflictions, the mind attains liberation.

Therefore, when contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, one must constantly have right knowledge in the mind, and moreover, it is knowledge when the mind is still, not knowledge when the mind is scattered. These two types of knowing are different. The knowing when the mind is still includes the knowing of manas. The knowing when the mind is scattered is the scattered knowing of consciousness. Scattered knowing is all ignorant knowing. The knowing when the mind is still can gradually reduce ignorance, transform from ignorant knowing to clear knowing, and enable the opening of wisdom and attainment of liberation.

The knowing when the mind is scattered manifests only the functional role of consciousness. The knowing when the mind is still includes not only the clear knowing of consciousness but also the lucid knowing of manas, with manas' deep deliberative function. Only then can the view of self be severed and the Dharma-eye purified. This is the practice method the Buddha taught us, not using the conscious mind to think, analyze, consider, infer, or reason – none of these methods are used. All dharmas are directly present, originally thus. As long as awareness is maintained, when the time comes, the truth of the world will become clear.

Ignorant knowing of the observed Dharma falls into the realm of phenomena, taking the phenomenal realm as real and true. Clear knowing is knowing the arising, ceasing, unreality, and non-substantiality of the phenomenal realm. The intermediate contemplative process is important; the turning point from ignorance to clarity is crucial. Observing the principle behind the phenomenal realm is clear knowing. When manas knows clearly, there must be the appearance of samādhi (concentration) that balances concentration and wisdom. This process may take longer because the foundation from past lives is weaker, requiring more effort in this life. During the practice of observing the breath, one should refer to the method of observing the breath by Cūḍapanthaka in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. Cūḍapanthaka observed the breath without leaving the tip of the nose, with extreme single-mindedness, finally realizing the fourth fruit (arhatship) and also attaining the four dhyānas.

Twenty-three: The difference between clear knowing and ignorant knowing

Ignorance is the inner obscurity and unknowing. Not knowing the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self of the five aggregates subject to clinging; not knowing the arising, ceasing, and changing of the five aggregates world; not knowing the essential characteristics of all dharmas; not knowing that all dharmas are manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature); not knowing the principle of cause and effect. In short, ignorance is not knowing, not understanding the true principle dharmas, clinging to all false dharmas as self and belonging to self. Knowing imbued with this ignorance is inverted, perverse knowing.

If, through contemplative realization, one realizes the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self; realizes the true principle of all dharmas; severs ignorance; and is no longer deluded, inverted, or clinging to any dharmas, then the knowing of the five aggregates, the knowing of all dharmas, becomes clear, called clear knowing. Of course, clarity also has gradations, levels, and degrees. There is initial clarity and ultimate clarity. Clarity increases gradually; becoming increasingly clear, one gains increasing wisdom and increasing liberation.

Clarity is also divided into the clarity of consciousness and the clarity of manas. The clarity of consciousness is relatively easier; when the Buddha Dharma is thoroughly understood, consciousness becomes clear. But the clarity of manas can only appear after realization; the clarity of manas does not arise through mere understanding or simple thinking. It requires constant investigation and deliberation within concentration to suddenly awaken, suddenly become clear. The clarity of consciousness is gradual clarity; gradual cultivation leads to gradual clarity. Gradual clarity is the result of understanding, not true wisdom.

Consciousness penetrating the principle is also quite difficult. Therefore, consciousness realizing the fruit is equally difficult. It is not as many think – think a little, understand a little, and consciousness realizes the fruit. That is far from consciousness realizing the fruit, and even farther from manas realizing the fruit. How can realizing the fruit be so easy? Ignorance is so deep, obscurations are so great, afflictions are so heavy, wisdom is so shallow. Being a good ordinary person is already commendable. If one does not change oneself, eliminate some afflictions and ignorance, undergo a complete transformation, do not talk about realizing the fruit; it is still too far away.

Twenty-four: The correspondence between the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (body, feelings, mind, dharmas) and the Five Aggregates

They correspond precisely. The 'body' of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is the aggregate of form (rūpa) among the Five Aggregates. The 'feelings' of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is the aggregate of feeling (vedanā). The 'mind' of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is the aggregates of consciousness (vijñāna), mental formations (saṃskāra), and perception (saṃjñā). The 'dharmas' of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are the practices of the Five Aggregates and Eighteen Realms, the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment. Therefore, contemplating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness enables the liberation of the Five Aggregates.

The Buddha Dharma is interconnected; different paths lead to the same goal; it is the same principle, only explained from different angles. Although the angles of explanation differ, the result is the same: severing the view of self and attaining liberation. The entry points chosen by individuals during practice may differ, but the result does not differ. Entering from any point can lead to the destination. As long as the method is correct, one will surely reach the ultimate goal, the mountaintop. Standing on the mountaintop looking down at the surroundings, all paths lead to the summit; there is no need to walk around the entire mountain. Ascend along one path to the summit, and all paths become clear at a glance. Therefore, an enlightened person can answer any question; for sentient beings on any path, guidance can be given. The Great Vehicle Dharma, Small Vehicle Dharma, worldly dharmas, non-Buddhist dharmas, precepts, concentration, wisdom – all practices can be guided. Only then is one a worthy good teacher, virtuous and talented.

Twenty-five: Why can contemplation sever the view of self?

Using an analogy to explain contemplation: for example, children like toys. Some children, after obtaining a toy, cannot put it down, liking it for years without tiring. Such intelligence is concerning. Other children are full of curiosity about the toy they get; they dismantle it, assemble it, dismantle it again, finally understanding that the toy is just like this, and lose interest. Then they switch to another toy. Finally, for all other toys, it's the same: dismantling, separating, examining inside and out, understanding clearly, and after understanding, no longer curious or interested. As age and experience grow, finally, no interest remains in any toy. This indicates the child's mind has matured.

Sentient beings are like children; they also like the toy of the five aggregates (name and form). For many lives, many kalpas, even countless immeasurable kalpas, they cannot put it down, clinging incessantly, bound tightly by the five aggregates body, lacking freedom, suffering immense pain. How to liberate from bondage? One should be like the mentally mature child: dismantle and deconstruct the five aggregates world, see through the essence of the five aggregates, knowing that the five aggregates are actually suffering, empty, impermanent, non-self – nothing more. If sentient beings have the mind of the Great Vehicle, seeing through that the essence of the five aggregates is the empty Tathāgatagarbha, that there is no such thing as the five aggregates, that the five aggregates are conditionally arisen dharmas born from the Tathāgatagarbha, that when conditions cease the five aggregates body ceases, lacking autonomy – this mind is the most mature.

Because most sentient beings are deluded by the five aggregates, immersed in them unable to extricate themselves, like children obsessed with toys, mentally immature, not knowing how to deconstruct the five aggregates, the Buddha established a skillful method, teaching sentient beings to observe according to principle and reality, starting contemplation from the breath in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The purpose is to start with the breath to reasonably and meticulously deconstruct the five aggregates, to contemplate deeply with proper attention, to observe directly and presently. This is the simplest and most effective contemplative method.

Some people contemplate the breath; after contemplating back and forth, the five aggregates are slightly penetrated. From this point, the aggregate of form is seen through, realizing that the aggregate of form is suffering, empty, impermanent, non-self – nothing more – thus severing the view of the body (sakkāya-diṭṭhi). Some, while severing the view of the body, exert effort and simultaneously deconstruct the other four aggregates, seeing through the entirety of the five aggregates as suffering, empty, non-self, thus severing the view of self. Those with even better mental faculties deconstruct the five aggregates inside and out, observing clearly and thoroughly, suddenly severing afflictions, directly realizing the fourth fruit of Arhatship.

Therefore, this contemplation is an excellent method for deconstructing the five aggregates to attain Small Vehicle liberation, enabling sentient beings, these children, to mature mentally sooner, thereby becoming weary of the five aggregates and liberating from the suffering of birth and death. The key is to know how to contemplate, to contemplate according to principle and reality. This also depends on the sentient being's mental faculties and concentration power. Differences in sentient beings' concentration and wisdom are certain. However, no need to rush. As long as contemplation is long-term, with prolonged effort and deep skill, sooner or later the five aggregates will be seen through clearly, no longer deluded or bound by them. Liberation is only a matter of time.