The Four Classifications of the Linji Chan School

Stripping away the person but not the object, stripping away the object but not the person, stripping away both the person and the object, and stripping away neither the person nor the object. "Stripping away" refers to depriving, peeling off, dispelling, eliminating, and annihilating; "person" refers to the subjective self, the consciousness that is capable of grasping; "object" refers to the sense objects that are grasped. These four phrases summarize that in the process of Chan investigation, one must peel off and eliminate the subjective grasper and the objective grasped — that is, one must gradually eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha). Having the view of self is a covering, an obstruction; the wisdom eye does not open, and one sees only the person and the object, not the true mind. 

Although ordinary sentient beings all have the view of self, in the course of practice and study, the emphasis of the view of self differs: some people emphasize the subjective grasper, clinging to consciousness; some emphasize the objective grasped, clinging to sense objects; and some cling to both. Because of the view of self and self-grasping, the mind is not empty, and Chan investigation bears no fruit. At this point, a Chan master with the eye of discernment is needed to respond to the student's capacity and give instruction, pressing them face-to-face toward emptiness, stripping away the grasper and grasped to which the student clings, removing the obstruction of the eye, and purifying their dharma eye — this is the first three of the four discernments. For the Chan practitioner who has attained purity of the dharma eye, both person and object are empty, and they have fallen into a state of emptiness. In order to advance to the higher path and realize ultimate reality, the Chan master again responds to their capacity and gives instruction, enabling the student to turn around from the state of emptiness and realize that-which-is in the person and the object. Thus, where willows are dim and flowers bright, another village appears — the state of mind turns, and the great matter receives its initial resolution. The fourth discernment completes the seeing of the path of the Great Vehicle and opens up the path of ascent. Therefore, without eradicating the view of self, one cannot attain enlightenment.