Only with gradual contemplative practice is direct realization possible.

Yaoling's Contemplative Practice Journal: Yesterday I contemplated that the realms of the six sense objects are false and unreal, and my mind refused to acknowledge them as truly existent, so the mind was gradually able to stop sticking to the realms of the six sense objects. I contemplated that the act of "arising mental engagement to grasp at and discriminate the realms of the six sense objects" is impermanent, is a lack of self-mastery (avaśatā), is depletion, is suffering — why must I pay attention to the realms of the six sense objects? Continuing to turn the light around and shine it back inward, I did not arise mental engagement to grasp at and discriminate the sense-object realms, nor did I arise deluded thoughts and thinking; the sense-object realms are inherently empty, and objects do not name themselves. 

Then I contemplated that all dharmas are without self, and that all dharmas are consciousness-only. Here it felt like that line from the Diamond Sutra — "in reality there are no dharmas" — all dharmas are Buddha-dharmas. It is just like how all phenomena are one's own shadow; then why should I pay attention to my own shadow? So I completely did not arise mental engagement to be mindful of any dharmas, and the mind rested in a state of ease and self-luminosity. If the mind does not arise with a stimulus, phenomena will not respond. 

The realm became clear and bright, and after a while I felt as if I had entered boundless empty space, unable to find the boundary of the body, unable to find any sense of spatial dimension. At this time I held fast to the wisdom-contemplation of "all dharmas are without self," not grasping at the realm; though the mind was frightened, I could persist. This realm took over ten minutes to recede; every time my contemplative practice reaches this point, this realm appears, though sometimes when my state regresses, it can take several months before my practice reaches here again. At this time I had a slight taste of "where words and language are cut off, and the paths of mental activity are extinguished"; at this time the breath also became barely perceptible, with only slight breathing in the dantian, the body's energy channels were changing rapidly, and mental energy recovered quickly. 

Assessment: This contemplative practice looks quite diligent, and it seems to have some meditative concentration effects, but these contemplations are actually disorganized and without proper sequence — taking all the theories learned and running through them in contemplation one by one. Calling it contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), it is actually just cultivation through exposure (vāsanā); all of it falls within the mind consciousness's deliberation and analysis, and the conclusions reached are the mind consciousness's conclusions, all of them merely learned theories, with no intermediate process of verification and no actual evidence, so it is merely theory. Far too many people practice contemplation this way, and then all believe they have realized and confirmed it themselves.

In fact, for the theories here, to successfully contemplate even one and realize even one would require the time of an incalculable kalpa, because these belong to the domain of the Ālayavijñāna seed-wisdom (daśa-bhūmi bodhisattvas' wisdom of the varieties of paths) of bodhisattvas on the bhūmis. Can an ordinary being achieve contemplative success and directly become a bhūmi bodhisattva? Obviously not. For example, contemplating that all dharmas are without self — this is the contemplative realm of bhūmi bodhisattvas; "all dharmas are consciousness-only" is also within the domain of consciousness-only seed-wisdom; "all dharmas are Buddha-dharmas" is likewise within the domain of consciousness-only seed-wisdom; "all phenomena are one's own shadow" — let us for the moment say this "self" refers to the tathāgatagarbha — realizing this realm would already mean the full-mind stage of the first bhūmi. Another example: contemplating the falsity of the realms of the six sense objects — there is no evidence proving that the realms are false, yet one lets the mind consciousness forcibly refuse to acknowledge the realms as real, as if that means the six sense objects are indeed false. This is not contemplative practice; it is reciting the sutras. In this way, even the mind consciousness has not realized and confirmed the falsity of the six sense objects, let alone the manas realizing it — that is even more remote.

Many people have learned too much theory; they know everything, yet have digested and absorbed nothing; it is all stuck in their minds, neither up nor down. They do not know the levels of wisdom corresponding to these theories, do not know how to actually realize them step by step from shallow to deep, and do not know the sequence of study, practice, and contemplation. Those without arrogance are still fine, but once such a person has arrogance, they will believe they have realized this and realized that, and will no longer be able to listen to what others say. Even without arrogance, not believing they have realized anything, such disorganized, unordered contemplation brings little actual benefit to real cultivation and realization. Although they temporarily have some meditative concentration, that concentration is unstable and can regress at any time; even if the concentration does not regress in this life, it will certainly regress after death. Without real realization and eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), what benefit can all that meditative concentration and contemplative practice bring at the moment of death?

Nowadays, people who study Buddhism, including those who teach the Dharma, because they lack real realization, do not know the depths and levels of the theories they study; they only study and teach whichever theoretical knowledge sounds lofty and impressive, as if by studying and teaching something they could thereby realize it — extremely busy and chaotic, with no sequence or method. If one wants to be exposed to the Buddha-dharma and is interested in consciousness-only, there is no problem with being exposed to consciousness-only teachings; but to contemplate and realize consciousness-only, one must first eradicate the view of self and realize the third fruit (anāgāmin), and after passing the three gates of the Chan school and seeing the mind. Before that, there is absolutely no way to realize consciousness-only theory — it is absolutely impossible. The sequence of study and practice is: contemplate the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) as without self and eradicate the view of self; then investigate Chan and see the mind; after that, give rise to the wisdom of subsequent attainment and the first dhyāna, becoming an anāgāmin, gaining the ability to pass the final barrier; the contemplation of illusion, the contemplation of mirage, and the contemplation of dream are achieved in sequence; only after that comes the content of consciousness-only seed-wisdom, such as the one true dharmadhātu, all dharmas are consciousness-only, all dharmas are without self, the mirror-image contemplation, the samādhi of suchness, and so on. 

If the preceding foundational dharmas have not been realized, then no matter how one contemplates the later dharmas, there will be no actual effect and no realization; it can only be called cultivation through exposure. It is not like what some people claim — that right upon enlightenment one can observe how the eighth consciousness gives birth to the sense faculties, the body, and the material world, or that right upon enlightenment one can observe that all dharmas are the seed-functions of the eighth consciousness. This is fundamentally impossible. Even with genuine enlightenment, truly realizing the eighth consciousness, one could work oneself to death and still not observe these contents. Even at the levels of a first, second, or third bhūmi bodhisattva, one still cannot observe how the eighth consciousness gives birth to the sense faculties, the body, and the material universe, nor observe how all dharmas are the seed-functions of the eighth consciousness, because these all belong to the domain of the wisdom of the varieties of paths. One who has just attained enlightenment cannot possibly have the wisdom of the varieties of paths; to speak this way proves that such a person has not genuinely attained enlightenment at all, and does not know what a person who has just attained enlightenment can actually observe. 

Whoever truly wishes to achieve cultivation in this life and no longer transmigrate through the three evil destinies must make great aspirations and great vows, and cultivate in a down-to-earth manner starting from the most basic Buddha-dharma. Do not aim too high while lacking ability, eyes high and hands low, trying to build some castle in the air. First lay the foundation well, walk step by step, do not leap, and even less try to fly; train the strength of your feet and the power of your legs. If in this life you can genuinely eradicate the view of self, that is already very good — being spared the suffering of the three evil destinies would be cause for great rejoicing. On that basis, then investigate Chan; if you can truly see the mind, that is already quite remarkable, with immense merit. Everything else need not be considered for now, because it is still far from you, and considering it is of no use.