What Is the Investigation of Things and the Extension of Knowledge?

Journal Entry Eighty-Two on Contemplative Practice: I practiced stillness meditation according to the method taught by my master, beginning with mindfulness of breathing. After calming my mind, I placed the contemplation "the physical body is not the self" within my awareness and maintained it while entering a state beyond language and thought. Gradually, I felt as though my body was receding from the perceiving mind, becoming somewhat difficult to anchor. After rising from meditation, I felt light, at ease, and tranquil, like awakening from a deep dream. Unlike before, I did not feel as fatigued, though my head felt somewhat tight and numb, and this sensation persisted for over ten minutes. I am grateful for my master's guidance. Learning Buddhism requires first making a resolute determination to change the habitual tendencies of the manas (intellectual/egoic mind). After setting this goal, my mind felt considerably lighter.

Commentary: There is a saying called "investigating things to attain true knowledge" (ge wu zhi zhi). It means that as long as the mind separates from phenomena, does not cling to them, and does not adhere to them, it will not be tainted or confined by phenomena. It will then transcend phenomena and look back upon them objectively, thereby arriving at objective conclusions and insights. Conversely, when the mind adheres closely to phenomena, it is often blinded by them, seeing only the appearances of phenomena and failing to perceive truth and reality.

The purpose of contemplative practice (guan xing) within meditative concentration (dhyāna) is precisely to "investigate things to attain true knowledge" – to detach the mind from dharmas (phenomena/teachings) and thus re-examine and observe dharmas objectively, free from language and words, without subjectivity. Gradually, objective discoveries different from before will arise, leading to the recognition of objective truth, thereby giving birth to the wisdom that liberates one from conditioned states. Subjective initiative belongs to the consciousness (vijñāna), while objective perception and examination belong to the manas (the deeper, egoic mind). "Investigating things" (ge wu) means keeping the consciousness still and allowing the manas to perceive directly. Only in this way can there be impartial, objective, and principle-conforming discoveries, realizing that things are not as they seemed, that previous understanding was entirely mistaken.

Without cultivating meditative concentration and contemplative practice, one will never "investigate things to attain true knowledge," never change the self-view (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and self-grasping (ātma-grāha) of the manas, and will forever remain in ignorance and delusion. Liberation (mokṣa) will have no prospect of arising. No matter how difficult this crucial stage of meditative concentration and contemplative practice may be, one must pass through it and resolutely resolve to break through. Only then is one worthy of having studied Buddhism throughout this life and many past lives. If one seeks genuine realization and liberation, there is no other path. This is the only way; it cannot be circumvented. One must walk it sooner or later, and walking it sooner is far better than later, sparing oneself much suffering.