Only with sequential contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) is it possible to attain realization

Yaoling's contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) journal: Yesterday I contemplated that 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 six sense objects. I contemplated that my act of "arising mind to grasp at and discriminate the six sense objects" is impermanent, lacking self-mastery (avaśatā), depleting, and suffering—why must I pay attention to the six sense objects? I continued turning the light inward, not arising mind to grasp at and discriminate the sense objects, nor giving rise to delusive thinking; the sense objects 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 in the Diamond Sutra—"in reality there is not the slightest dharma"—and "all dharmas are Buddha-dharma." It is like all phenomena being my own shadow, so why should I pay attention to my own shadow? Thus I completely did not arise mind to recollect or be mindful of any dharmas, and the mind abided in a state of ease and self-luminosity. If the mind does not give rise to 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 body's edges, unable to find any sense of spatiality. At this time I held to the wisdom-contemplation of "all dharmas are without self," not grasping at the realm; though there was fear in the mind, I could persist. This state took over ten minutes to recede; every time my contemplative practice reaches this point this state appears, though sometimes my condition regresses and it takes several months before I can contemplate to this point. At this time I had a slight taste of "where words end and the path of mental activity is cut off"; my breath also became barely perceptible, with only slight breathing in the dantian, the body's qi channels were changing rapidly, and my spirit recovered quickly. 

Assessment: This contemplative practice looks quite diligent and seems to have some meditative concentration (samādhi) effects, but in fact these contemplations are chaotic and without any proper sequence—he took out all the theories he had learned and contemplated them one by one. Calling it contemplative practice, it is actually just familiarization (soaking); it all falls into the mind consciousness's thinking and analysis, and the conclusions reached are the mind consciousness's conclusions—all of them merely the theories he had learned. There is no intermediate process of verification, no actual evidence, so it is merely theory. Far too many people practice contemplation in 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 immeasurable kalpa, because these belong to the domain of the seed-wisdom (of consciousness-only) of bodhisattvas on the bhūmis. Can an ordinary being, by accomplishing contemplative practice, directly become a bhūmi bodhisattva? Obviously not. For example, contemplating that all dharmas are without self 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-dharma" is likewise within the domain of consciousness-only seed-wisdom; "all phenomena are one's own shadow"—let us grant for the moment that this "self" refers to the tathāgatagarbha—realizing this realm would already be the stage of the full mind of the first bhūmi. Another example: contemplating the falsity of the six sense objects—there is no evidence proving the sense objects are false, yet one makes the mind consciousness forcibly refuse to acknowledge the objects as real; does that mean 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 but have digested and absorbed nothing, all of it clogged in the mind, stuck 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 and contemplative practice. For those without pride, it is still okay; but once such a person has pride, they will believe they have realized this and realized that, and will no longer be able to listen to others' words. Even without pride, not believing they have realized anything, such chaotic and disordered contemplative practice 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 being able to actually realize the elimination of self-view (ahaṃkāra-mamakāra-parityāga), at the time of death, of what great benefit will all that meditative concentration and contemplative practice be?

Nowadays people who study Buddhism, including those who teach the Dharma, because they lack real realization, do not know the depth or levels of the theories they study; they simply study and teach whichever theory sounds lofty and impressive, as if by studying and teaching a given theory they could realize it—extremely busy and chaotic, with no sequence or method. If one wants to become familiar with the Buddha-dharma and is interested in consciousness-only, becoming familiar with consciousness-only is no problem; but to contemplate and realize consciousness-only, one must do so after eliminating self-view and realizing the third fruit (non-returner, Anāgāmin), and after seeing one's true mind and passing the three gates of Chan. Before that, there is absolutely no way to realize consciousness-only theory—it is utterly impossible. The sequence of study and practice is: contemplate the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) as without self and eliminate self-view; then investigate Chan and see the true mind; after that, give rise to the wisdom acquired after realization and the first dhyāna, becoming a third-fruit person, capable of passing the final barrier (the "iron gate"), with the illusion-like contemplation, mirage contemplation, and dream-like contemplation achieved in sequence; only after that comes the content of consciousness-only seed-wisdom, such as the one true dharmadhātu, all dharmas being consciousness-only, all dharmas without self, the mirror-image contemplation, the samādhi of suchness, and so on. 

If the foundational dharmas preceding 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 familiarization. It is not as some people claim, that right upon enlightenment one can observe how the eighth consciousness gives rise to the faculties 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, genuinely 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 rise to the faculties, the material world, and the universe's inanimate world, 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 awakened could not possibly have the wisdom of the varieties of paths; to speak this way proves that such a person has not genuinely awakened at all and does not know what a person who has just awakened can actually observe. 

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