The Practice of Initial Application and Sustained Examination (Vitarka-Vicāra) in Chan Meditation

In Chan contemplation, at the beginning it is the mind consciousness's initial application (vitarka); when meditative concentration deepens, the mind consciousness shifts to sustained examination (vicāra), and the manas begins its initial application; when meditative concentration deepens further, the questioning doubt grows strong, and the manas shifts to sustained examination. When the manas's doubt is deep and it shifts to sustained examination, enlightenment is not far off—it may occur at any time and place. Therefore, in realization it is still the manas that realizes first and the mind consciousness after, or the manas realizes simultaneously with the mind consciousness.

As for intellectual understanding, it is entirely the vitarka-vicāra activity of the mind consciousness; the manas has not yet begun to participate. For those with deep intellectual understanding, the manas participates only a little—there is no sustained examination, at most an initial application.

From vitarka and vicāra, one thinks of this: when the mind consciousness is in a state of not raising a single thought, the manas is absolutely not without thought; the manas is still deliberating (manana). Whatever it deliberates upon, it is all vitarka-vicāra—including the deliberating upon "not deliberating," which is also the manas engaged in vitarka-vicāra.