The Relationship between Dao and Technique

Training the manas belongs to the realm of technique. If the height of the Path is not attained, then by technique alone, no matter what, one cannot see the Path; one can only apply technique to worldly dharmas to make a living. But as long as the Path reaches a certain height, technique need not be trained—it is naturally complete. Because the Path is the root and technique is the branch-tip; the Path is the mind, and technique is accomplished by the mind—it is a state of the mind. When the mind is accomplished, technique is naturally accomplished, like a shadow following the form. If one deeply craves a certain dharma, with every thought centered upon it and no other thoughts, that dharma will inevitably penetrate deep into the marrow, engraved into the mind of the manas. Though the stars shift and turn, morning and evening without wavering, the technique manifests of itself without being sought.

Everyone has personally experienced moments when the manas can concentrate its energy and attention to a high degree, and can deliberate and weigh certain matters and principles on its own—it is just that people never think of this point. For example, when the manas especially likes something, is especially interested, especially concerned, especially shocked, stunned, and shaken, especially astonished, especially terrified, especially pleasantly surprised, extremely excited, extremely angry or indignant—at such times the manas is single-minded, and the mind consciousness cannot participate. The manas does not need the mind consciousness to do anything; single-mindedly immersed in the current situation, it engages in deep perception, deep experience, and deliberation (manasikāra). At such times, the mind consciousness's thoughts are not moving, and the manas alone is digesting the information it has received or the sense-objects it has contacted. Often one will be dumbfounded, dazed, stunned, or frozen—at such times the mind consciousness is not thinking, like a fool, while the manas itself deliberates rapidly and deeply. He will discover facts and truths that could not be discovered before; and once discovered, the mind consciousness will feel "so that's how it is," and will also know the truth of the matter. Summarize and distill such experiences encountered in daily life into a method and approach to guide one's own cultivation and realization, and one's practice will enter a deeper level.

The distilled and summarized experience contains both the Path and technique. The Path is the mind, the state of the mind; from the perspective of Buddhist cultivation, it is the bodhi mind, the attitude toward the Buddha-dharma, the spiritual faculties and merit. Technique is skill and craft, which can only be complete after the Path, through cultivation and training; after that, one simply waits for the results to emerge.

Regarding developing the bodhi mind as the Path, I have spoken very little, which has led most disciples to have insufficient understanding of developing the bodhi mind; they put in more effort on technique, yet their progress is not fast. Developing the bodhi mind belongs to the foundational content of study and practice; disciples who study and practice with me should have long since become complete in it, without my needing to teach it specially. My energy does not allow me to attend to the needs of beginner sentient beings; I do not have the energy to cover all the content required for sentient beings' study and practice.