The Skill of Seeking and Examining in Chan Meditation

When practicing Chan, at the beginning it is the mind consciousness engaged in 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 that realizes afterward, or the manas realizes simultaneously with the mind consciousness.

As for intellectual understanding, it is entirely the initial application and sustained examination (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 there is initial application.

From initial application and sustained examination, one can think of this: when the mind consciousness is in a state of not giving rise to a single thought, the manas is absolutely not in a state of not giving rise to a single thought; the manas is still deliberating (manasikāra). No matter what He deliberates, it is all initial application and sustained examination—including deliberating about that which does not deliberate; that too is the manas engaged in initial application and sustained examination.