How to Choose a Suitable Object for Contemplative Practice (Manas Training Section)

Usually, at every moment, the dharmas we take as objects are too many, causing our thoughts to scatter, our contemplation to scatter, and our energy to scatter, so that we cannot clearly discern any of the dharmas we take as objects, wisdom cannot arise, our bodily, verbal, and mental actions become disordered, and we create karmic actions of greed, hatred, and delusion. If we can apply the mind with single-minded focus and contemplate deeply and thoroughly, we will see through the dharma taken as object, refrain from foolish actions, and thereby attain liberation.

In order to train the manas to reduce its chasing after external objects, and to narrow the attention down to taking only one dharma as object at a single point in time, thereby improving concentration, we need to find an object of contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) that suits ourselves, to find a target that interests the manas and into which we can enter, letting Him observe simply, observe intuitively, and observe while discarding distracting thoughts. Only after concentration improves can wisdom improve.

What kind of object should we look for that is easy to enter? In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the twenty-five sages each realized perfect penetration through the six faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses, and realized perfect penetration through the six great elements of earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness. Any dharma can be the object of contemplative practice, and any dharma can lead to the realization of perfect penetration. The meaning of perfect penetration is complete and thorough comprehension, completely entering into and realizing the emptiness of that dharma—the emptiness doctrine of the Small Vehicle and the emptiness (śūnyatā) of the Great Vehicle. Since perfect penetration can be realized through the six faculties, six sense objects, six consciousnesses, and six great elements, then every dharma can lead to perfect penetration, and every dharma is an entry point for realizing the Path. However, because our energy is limited, each practitioner can only choose one entry point that suits himself, applying effort single-mindedly in contemplative practice, making breakthroughs, and entering the Path; after entering the Path, gradually every dharma will be thoroughly understood.

If you choose the eye faculty as the entry point, you must make a selection regarding the material sense-objects corresponding to the eye faculty. Once the selection is appropriate, the mind accepts it, and it feels comfortable and pleasant, the contemplative practice will come with ease. The object chosen should be simple and clear, not large in size, not complex in shape and color, not attracting too much attention, and not giving rise to all kinds of thoughts and sentiments, which would cause wild imagination to fly about, contrary to the original intention of practice, making it impossible to enter into normal, plain contemplative practice.

Simple material sense-objects include incense tips, beans, balls, pens, one's own fingers, toes, hair, clothing buttons, and so on. With simple material sense-objects, especially familiar ones, there is no need to explore or analyze them; they will not stir up emotional fluctuations, the state of mind can remain plain and calm, and it is easy to concentrate.

During contemplative practice, observe only with intuition; whatever appears in the material sense-object, observe that. Do not mentally fill in scenes that cannot be seen. This is contemplative practice of direct perception; mentally filling things in is contemplative practice of non-valid cognition, which should not be adopted, because the result is not real and no result can be obtained. Observing the material sense-object is not studying the material sense-object; there is no need to contemplate its size, shape, length, or whether its color is vivid or not. These are contents for the mind consciousness to analyze; analyzing them is useless, the results of contemplative practice have nothing to do with these contents, and attaining meditative concentration (samādhi) is not realized through these contents. Someone may ask: then what exactly is being observed, and what is being realized? As the practice gets on track, you will gradually come to know—it is indescribably wondrous. As for how wondrous it is, just look at the meditative concentration states of the twenty-five sages and you will know.

If you choose the ear faculty as the entry point, you must make a selection regarding the sound objects taken as object. The sound must not rise and fall dramatically, and must not be too pleasing and melodious, lest it stir emotional fluctuations and trigger endless reveries. The sound should be somewhat monotonous and faint; sounds with noise that disturbs the mind cannot be used. The ticking of a small alarm clock or a watch is quite suitable—it can be carried with you, and you can hear the sound at any time. Once you get used to it, upon hearing the sound the mind can become calm. The most convenient are the sound of your own heartbeat, the sound of breathing, the faint tapping of a finger, the sound of teeth clenching, and so on. The sound of tapping a wooden fish is even better—record a segment with your phone and set it to repeat automatically.

If you choose the nose faculty as the entry point, you must make a selection regarding the scent objects taken as object; choose a faint, fresh fragrance. The scent must not be strong, lest greed arise. You may choose the scent of spices, fruits, flowers, fresh grass, and so on.

If you choose the tongue faculty as the entry point, you must make a selection regarding the taste objects taken as object. Taste objects are all in the mouth; the most direct and convenient is to taste and contemplate saliva or the taste of the oral cavity, or to hold nuts in the mouth, or hold date pits in the mouth, and so on. The taste object should be bland, not too rich and fragrant; otherwise greed will arise, causing thoughts to fly about and distracting thoughts to interweave, and the mind will no longer be pure.

If you choose the body faculty as the entry point, you must make a selection regarding the tangible objects taken as object. Tangible objects must be in contact with the body, must be able to be carried with you, and must be able to follow the body at all times. Therefore, using a part of your own body is the most convenient—for example, gently touching the forehead with the hand, pressing the pulse, swaying the waist while sitting cross-legged; you can hold a ball, a small stone, prayer beads, walnuts, and so on in the hand. But there should not be much friction, lest too much mental effort scatter the mind.

If you choose the manas as the entry point, you must make a selection regarding the mental objects taken as object; the simpler, the easier it is to settle the mind. For example, counting Arabic numerals, repeatedly counting from 1 to 100, feeling soybeans in a small pocket with the hand and counting them, counting prayer beads, counting breaths, counting heartbeats, counting one's own fetal breathing—reciting the Buddha's name and reciting mantras are all good methods. Cultivating through the manas is slightly more difficult than cultivating through the five faculties.

Choose an object into which you can enter contemplation at any time while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down; this allows the contemplative practice to be continuous. While working and while conversing with others, you can still engage in contemplative practice without affecting how you handle affairs. When conversing with others, if the content is not particularly important and does not require full-hearted listening and responding, you can converse and respond while engaging in contemplative practice at the same time—you can observe the other person's collar and clothing buttons, or pay attention to your own breathing, count your breaths, and so on. If your workplace often holds meetings, and the meetings are not particularly important, this time should be well utilized and not wasted: casually pick one sense object in the meeting room, half attending the meeting and half engaging in contemplative practice, and neither will be delayed.

Such direct observation can also be applied to guiding children's studies; it is a method of training concentration and training meditative concentration and wisdom. The meditative concentration and wisdom of the worldly and the world-transcending are interchangeable, for both use the same mind. Once well trained, children's academic performance will naturally improve, their comprehension and self-learning ability will naturally strengthen, and they may even develop original creativity.