Contemplative Practice Must Also Reflect on the Roots of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion

Jun Ruolan's Contemplation Practice: In recent days, I encountered an unfair incident and thus began contemplation practice. Not obtaining fairness gave rise to resentment, which is attachment to dharmas (clinging to rules). Why cling to rules? It is to prevent one's own interests from being harmed, which is seeking to satisfy greed. Form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are all empty, so what is there to crave?
During contemplation, initially, conscious thought participated more. Later, upon reaching the final line, conscious thinking ceased to function; only a pure awareness remained. At that moment, I saw an image: "I," a body appearing lightly floating and semi-transparent. Later, even that semi-transparent image ceased to exist, leaving only a light, floating sensation until the end. After the contemplation ended, when thinking about the incident again, I found the mind was very calm. Whenever something emotionally stirring happens in reality, I make time for contemplation. The more I contemplate, the more I discover the numerous issues with my mental faculty, the profound depth of self-attachment.
Commentary: Jun Ruolan's contemplation practice is very thorough, indicating excellent wisdom—wisdom is strong. I don’t know if her meditative concentration is as strong as her wisdom; I feel it is slightly weaker. However, at this pace, meditative concentration will quickly strengthen again. Once samadhi arises, spiritual practice will reach a major turning point. Seize this well, and the prospect of realizing the path is within reach.
Everyone's greed, resentment, and delusion have an origin, a root cause. What is this root cause? It is the "self." Due to the view of self, in order to protect and satisfy the self, greed, resentment, and delusion automatically arise. Therefore, the phenomena of greed, resentment, and delusion objectively reflect the view of self and self-attachment within the mind. Even though those at the first and second fruitions have eliminated the view of self, it is not yet completely eradicated. Thus, although the afflictions of greed, resentment, and delusion are subdued, they are not uprooted. After attaining the first dhyana, upon reaching the third fruition, greed and resentment are eradicated, but the affliction of delusion remains uneradicated. This delusion refers to ignorance regarding phenomena within the three realms, not ignorance regarding Mahayana Dharma.
The subduing and eradication of the afflictions of greed, resentment, and delusion must occur after effective contemplation practice, especially after the arising of samadhi, where the effect is very evident. Without forcibly suppressing afflictions with conscious thought, afflictions naturally cease to arise. During the contemplation process, once the mental faculty clearly understands the falsity and unreality of the five aggregates—body and mind—the thought patterns change. Consequently, the physical form is no longer taken seriously, the coarse greed related to the desire realm naturally ceases to manifest, and the conditions of the six dusts (sensory objects) such as clothing, food, shelter, and transportation naturally gradually become of no concern—no pickiness, no concern, no pursuit. Resentment is also naturally subdued; everything feels indifferent. A single "indifferent" resolves many entanglements.
Spiritual practice is using theory to guide actuality. Actuality is every present moment of the five aggregates, every bodily, verbal, and mental action. What is cultivated is precisely the body, speech, and mind—these are the ultimate points of application, the final goal. To observe the effectiveness of each person's practice, observe their bodily, verbal, and mental actions; observe every detail within the activities of their five aggregates. Details determine success or failure; they determine results. Why observe the details of the five aggregates and bodily, verbal, and mental actions? Because thought patterns determine bodily, verbal, and mental actions; they determine the details of the activities of the five aggregates. Only when theory is implemented thoroughly do thought patterns transform. If theory is not implemented thoroughly, it remains merely theory, with nothing worthwhile to discuss.