Reciting, Observing, and Investigating the Huatou: The Differences Among the Three

Observing the huatou is a practice to cultivate concentration, enabling the mind to dwell at the forefront of a phrase, preventing verbal thoughts from arising. When concentration is insufficient, verbal thoughts emerge incessantly, with internal mental chatter persisting; this is called repeating the huatou. Therefore, it is due to a lack of concentration that the mind repeatedly fixates on a single phrase. With sufficient concentration, the internal mental chatter and the arising of verbal forms disappear.

When the concentration developed through observing the huatou becomes sufficient, one can then investigate the huatou, probing into the meaning of the phrase. At this stage, verbal thoughts scarcely appear, and one does not engage in intellectual reasoning or emotional interpretation. Only then can genuine realization be attained, rather than mere intellectual understanding. Those lacking sufficient concentration, if they seek awakening, can only achieve intellectual understanding.