Answers to Questions on the Contemplative Practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness

Answer: Ignorance is the obscurity and unknowing of the mind—not knowing that the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self; not knowing the arising, ceasing, and transformation of the world of the five aggregates; not knowing the essential nature and characteristics of all dharmas; not knowing that all dharmas are illusory transformations of the tathāgatagarbha; not knowing the principle of cause, condition, and karmic retribution. In short, ignorance is not knowing and not understanding the true principles and dharmas, grasping at all delusive dharmas as self and what belongs to self. Knowing that carries these ignorances is ignorant knowing.

If, through contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), one realizes that the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self, realizes the true principles of all dharmas, eliminates ignorance, and no longer remains deluded and inverted, grasping at all dharmas, then the knowing of the five aggregates and the knowing of all dharmas is luminous—this is called luminous knowing. Of course, "luminosity" also has gradations of difference; it has levels and degrees. There is the initial luminosity and the final luminosity. "Luminosity" must become luminous gradually, becoming more and more luminous; then one will have more and more wisdom, and more and more liberation.

Luminosity is also divided into the luminosity of the mind consciousness and the luminosity of the manas. The luminosity of the mind consciousness is relatively easy: once the Buddha-dharma is thoroughly understood, the mind consciousness becomes luminous. But the luminosity of the manas can only appear after realization. The luminosity of the manas cannot appear through mere understanding and simple deliberation (manana); one must investigate ceaselessly within meditative concentration (samādhi), deliberating continually, before sudden awakening can occur—becoming luminous in an instant. The luminosity of the mind consciousness is gradual luminosity: gradual cultivation brings gradual luminosity. Gradual luminosity is the result of understanding, not true wisdom.

Even for the mind consciousness, achieving thorough penetration of the principles is by no means easy. Therefore, attaining realization of the fruits through the mind consciousness is likewise very difficult. It is not, as many people believe, that by thinking things over a bit and explaining things a bit, the mind consciousness realizes the fruit—that is still far from realization of the fruit by the mind consciousness, and even farther from realization of the fruit by the manas. How could realizing the fruit be so easy? Ignorance is so deep and heavy, the obstructions so great, the afflictions so weighty, and the wisdom so shallow. It is already quite good if one can be a good ordinary being (pṛthagjana). If one does not transform oneself, eliminate a portion of one's afflictions and ignorance, and undergo a complete metamorphosis, it is best not to talk about realizing the fruit at all—it is simply too far away.