The Difference between Contemplative Practice, Visualization, Observation, and Imagination

Observation (guān) generally refers to objective observation—observing whatever is present right now—which is also called direct realization (pratyakṣa) or direct observation. Imagination, on the other hand, is the mind's fabrication of what is not present, a mental supplement that departs from the present state and from facts. It is the opposite of direct realization and direct observation; it is the mental activity of the consciousness, and it is a great taboo in cultivation and realization.

A few days ago, in a post about training the manas in daily life, I mentioned this: staring at the tip of the incense stick is the consciousness staring, done in order to draw the manas to observe the incense tip, and the consciousness should not engage in random thoughts, should not imagine anything, should not produce any images in the mind, and should not disturb the manas' observation. An incense tip—what is there to imagine? There are not so many things to think about, so why produce images? If the consciousness's wandering thoughts cannot be stopped, the manas also cannot settle down; when the mind is not in meditative concentration, observation is impossible. With meditative concentration it is called observation; without meditative concentration it is just the consciousness's scattered thoughts. While training the manas, one is also training the consciousness. First train the consciousness until it has no wandering thoughts or imaginings and no scattered thoughts; then the manas is more or less trained, and only then can one speak of observation—observation that does not stir the consciousness's mental activity. One can then also enter investigation, and afterwards enter meditative absorption (samādhi), whereupon contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and investigation can be accomplished.

In the contemplation of the four foundations of mindfulness, contemplating the body as impure includes contemplating the breath and the white-bone contemplation. The breath is a dharma present right now; this observation is called observational contemplative practice. The white bones may be visible right now, or may not be visible, but everyone has seen white bones and knows what they are, so no imagination is needed. The observation of contemplating the breath and the white bones can be called observational contemplative practice, and can also be called contemplative visualization.

Contemplating feeling as suffering: feeling is one's own personal experience, present right now or something one has experienced oneself, requiring no imagination. The observation of contemplating feeling is called observational contemplative practice and contemplative visualization.

Contemplating the mind as impermanent: the mind is one's own deluded mind, present and operating right now, which one can feel oneself, requiring no imagination. The observation of contemplating the mind is called observational contemplative practice and contemplative visualization.

Contemplating dharmas as non-self: the dharmas are the truths of the Four Noble Truths, the Thirty-seven Factors of Enlightenment, the five hindrances, the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) and eighteen realms, and so on, which we cultivate. These are dharmas present right now, requiring no imagination; contemplating dharmas is observational contemplative practice and contemplative visualization.

However, due to insufficient wisdom, one cannot correctly recognize the dharmas present right now and relies on the consciousness's thinking and imagination; then direct-perception contemplative practice becomes impossible. Even such a simple phenomenon as the breath—many people cannot observe it through direct perception and instead rely on the consciousness's thinking and imagination. As soon as the consciousness moves, it obscures the manas, and direct-perception observation and thinking cannot be activated, so the results obtained are false.

In contemplation of an image buddha-recollection (buddhānusmṛti), one places a Buddha statue in front, or a painting of a Buddha. The consciousness looks at the Buddha image while the manas directly observes it. When meditative concentration is insufficient, the consciousness will assist the manas in observing, with some thinking and analysis. When meditative concentration is sufficient, the consciousness's analysis is removed, and the manas observes alone through direct perception. When meditative absorption (samādhi) appears, the direct-perception realm of the manas's contemplative practice manifests, realization arises, and the contemplation of an image buddha-recollection is accomplished. At that time, whether or not the consciousness thinks of the Buddha image, the image will appear, independent of the consciousness, and both body and mind are in meditative absorption. Whatever the consciousness cannot control or direct is the manas's direct-perception realm—real and reliable.

The sixteen contemplations of the Contemplation Sūtra (Aparimitāyur-jñāna-sūtra) have no reference objects and are very difficult to contemplate; one must rely on one's own power of aspiration and the blessing power of Amitābha Buddha and other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The first contemplation, the sun contemplation, has the setting sun as a reference object. The subsequent fifteen contemplations have no reference objects at all, and one cannot use the consciousness to think and imagine. Even a single blade of grass or a single tree in the land of bliss (sukhāvatī) cannot be imagined, let alone so many landscapes and treasures that one has never even heard of and that do not exist on Earth at all—how can one contemplate these? But as long as the first contemplation, the sun contemplation, is accomplished and the mind abides in meditative absorption, the manas's thinking opens up, and with the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the second and third contemplations have hope of being accomplished. After the third contemplation is accomplished, no matter what, the meditative absorption will never disappear and will be maintained until the end of one's life, and then one will be reborn in the land of bliss within this meditative absorption. And permanently maintaining the state of meditative absorption is the result of the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; otherwise it could not be maintained. Therefore, when the first contemplation has not been accomplished, going directly to cultivate the later contemplations is extraordinarily difficult—it is unimaginable how one could cultivate them.