How to Ensure Genuine Realization Rather Than Mere Intellectual Understanding

In the early stages of contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and investigation, the mind consciousness can engage in much deliberation and study of the Dharma's meaning, gaining a general understanding of its principles. Later, when the causal conditions for Chan investigation are complete, and on the foundation of having cultivated meditative concentration (samādhi), the mind consciousness consolidates the Dharma meanings it has understood into a single meaning that is very easy to grasp, and suspends it deeply in the mind, working at it from morning to night, forgetting food and sleep—this is investigation (canjiu).

The mind consciousness should analyze and deliberate less, and let the manas deliberate and weigh things on its own more—this is the most effective method to ensure realization. If the mind consciousness does too much thinking and analysis, once it knows the answer, it no longer wants to investigate, and the manas then has no opportunity to investigate, so enlightenment can never be attained. Therefore, if the answer to seeing one's true mind is casually inquired about and casually told, once the mind consciousness knows it, the manas can no longer apply effort, and realization becomes impossible. The same applies to the elimination of self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi): you cannot demand that your teacher explain it in too much detail. If the mind consciousness already knows everything, the manas can no longer ponder it, and eliminating self-view becomes very difficult.

Using the mind consciousness to deliberate feels tiring, whereas letting the manas apply itself more does not feel tiring. When meditative concentration is very good, the manas can participate in contemplative practice; without concentration, the manas cannot get involved and cannot deliberate and investigate single-mindedly. The questioning doubt (yiqing) that arises during Chan investigation is precisely the manas single-mindedly wanting to understand and find the answer. Let the manas examine the Dharma's meaning; once it has examined it clearly and passed it, that is realization. Those who place emphasis on the mind consciousness say the manas is just a block of wood and a mere ornament, of no use. If contemplative practice and investigation truly did not require the manas, then I would now announce the answers of realization to the whole world, so that everyone in the world, whether Buddhist or not, would all know the answers, all become enlightened, and all become Buddhas—could that be done? It is utterly impossible. Each person eats and each person is filled; no one has ever heard that views and understanding can be substituted for one another.

The word "examine" (shen) in the manas's continual scrutiny and deliberation reveals the manas's mental activity, and also reveals the function it performs. This shows that the manas is not a useless thing or a mere ornament; it has a very important, decisive role, and is a lively, active conscious mind. Whatever dharma the manas contacts, it must examine; whatever dharmas the six consciousnesses discern, the manas must examine them. Once it has examined them, it must make a decision and must deal with them. So what role does the manas play in Chan investigation? What role does it play in eliminating self-view? What role does it play in seeing one's true mind and seeing one's nature? What role does it play in realizing all dharmas? In all cases, it plays the decisive role.

Every dharma must pass through the manas's checkpoint. If the manas has not examined and approved it, no handling can be done. When the manas examines, it has its own conscious mental activity; it must weigh things itself, and does not completely obey the six consciousnesses—it does not immediately approve whatever the six consciousnesses discern. Therefore, everything seen by the six consciousnesses must be clearly and distinctly understood by the manas. If the manas does not understand it, the examination fails, it cannot pass the checkpoint, and the manas cannot make its decision. Both the elimination of self-view and seeing one's true mind and nature must pass through the manas's examination and review. If the manas does not agree, self-view cannot be eliminated, and seeing one's true mind and nature cannot occur. The mind consciousness's unilateral elimination of self-view and seeing of the true mind is merely its own understanding and belief; if the master, the leader, does not agree, it does not count. For the mind consciousness to make its own decision, without the leader's consent, that it has eliminated self-view and seen the true mind—there is no such principle.