The Principle of Chan Meditation Beyond Mind, Intellect, and Consciousness

Question: The eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) is a contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) in which the mind consciousness repeatedly, deeply, and with appropriate attention demonstrates to the manas how the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) are illusory, and finally the manas gives its assent. This is a cyclical process of presenting evidence, persuading, presenting evidence again, and persuading again. The mind consciousness gradually submits all the evidence from the contemplative practice to the manas, and finally the manas gives its assent and acceptance. Is this acceptance also a form of correspondence? Is the eradication of the view of self also a matter of corresponding with the manas? What is the difference between the meaning of assent and correspondence?

Answer: Through the mind consciousness's repeated and subtle deliberation (manasikāra/manana) and contemplative practice, all the evidence and bases are gradually presented in full to the manas. When the manas, after deliberating, considers the evidence conclusive, it can confirm and accept. This acceptance means that the manas has awakened and has corresponded with the principle that the five aggregates are without self. The more sufficient the evidence and the more direct-perception realms presented, the more the manas accepts and corresponds. Because the manas acknowledges direct perception and does not correspond with the imagination of non-valid cognition, the manas only wants evidence.

When the manas corresponds with the principle of non-self, it will think: Oh! So that is how it is. Because the manas does not know that all the dharmas of its own five aggregates are illusory, now that the evidence is laid out before it, it has no choice but to acknowledge this principle. Previously, it was only the mind consciousness that knew the principle of non-self to a greater or lesser degree, but the manas did not know it, because its wisdom was shallow, its capacity to discern realms was insufficient, and it could not deliberate deeply and subtly.

What the mind consciousness analyzes, deliberates, and understands belongs to awakening through understanding; this is because the power of meditative concentration is not very good, and it has not penetrated to the manas, so the manas does not comprehend the principle. If the power of concentration is good, the mind consciousness's deliberation can penetrate deeply, with less superficial and shallow understanding; the mind consciousness moves slowly, and can then mobilize the power of the manas, letting the manas's capacity for deliberation come into function. Then when the manas itself understands, the mind consciousness certainly understands too. When concentration is shallow and the mind consciousness's analytical component is great, although the mind consciousness easily understands, the evidence presented to the manas is insufficient, and the manas's own capacity for deliberation is also inadequate, so the manas does not comprehend the principle. When the mind consciousness uses less analytical effort and hands over more effort to the manas, letting it deliberate more, one can then realize that the five aggregates are without self.

The power of this confirmation by the manas is extremely great; it can transform one's own mind, transform bodily, verbal, and mental actions, transform karmic actions, and transform karmic seeds. Practicing in this way is taking a great shortcut. If you want the manas to apply more effort and realize through direct perception, you must enter deeply into meditative concentration, with the mind consciousness moving little — this is the principle of investigating (canjiu). Chan masters have always taught students in this way to investigate Chan apart from mind, consciousness, and mental states, without analyzing, without emotional thinking and intellectual interpretation; yet they may not necessarily understand the deep principle within, not knowing that this is the function of the manas, corresponding with the manas. Because the operation of the manas belongs to the domain of the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only, many Chan masters have not given rise to the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only. Therefore, the principle of the eradication of the view of self is the same as the principle of investigating Chan; it also makes use of the manas, letting the manas secretly apply effort to deliberate on the selfless nature of the five aggregates, while the mind consciousness deliberates deeply and subtly within concentration, moving slowly and deeply; in this way it can penetrate to the manas, and only then can it correspond with the selfless nature.

If we excavate all the functions, natures, and operations of the manas, practice becomes a great shortcut — indeed the greatest shortcut — and we can practice in leaps, and attaining buddhahood will be extremely fast.