Answers to Questions on the Contemplative Practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness 2

Answer: Contemplation means observing, watching, discovering, and detecting. Whatever a thing is like, you should immediately know it as it is, without the mind consciousness processing or embellishing it. In other words, observe whatever happens. For example, when contemplating the breath, try to observe all conditions related to the breath as fully as possible, and ignore everything else. Do not analyze, do not seek to understand, do not reason, do not judge, do not imagine, do not speculate, do not organize, do not summarize, do not generalize. Do not let the mind consciousness bustle about; just quietly and peacefully observe. Simply observe things as they truly are—do not meddle.

As for what comes after observation, the manas will naturally face it, examine it, and deliberate upon it. The mind consciousness cannot substitute for the manas in awakening to all dharmas, so please let the mind consciousness simply maintain pure observation. The great matters should be decided by the manas personally; ignorance must be personally broken through by the manas; truth must be personally discovered by the manas. If, while contemplating the breath, the phenomena of the breath cannot be observed, it indicates that the power of meditative concentration (samādhi) is insufficient and the mind is still coarse. You need to strengthen the power of vigilant awareness, focus your attention, and subdue the scattered mind. Observe bit by bit with depth and subtlety, and observe comprehensively. Contemplate according to the original text of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sūtra, and your power of observation will improve.