How to Enter Dhyana Through Wisdom

After adjusting their breath, the meditator mentally brings forth the questions that need contemplation. Having clarified the essence of the questions with consciousness, they refrain from analyzing, reasoning, speculating, or imagining, avoiding superficial conscious thought. Instead, they mobilize the manas (the seventh consciousness), deeply implanting the questions into the heart of manas, leaving manas suspended with these inquiries. At this point, both consciousness and manas are devoid of words, language, or sound. Thus, profound samādhi arises, and concentration is established. Manas remains in a state of pondering the questions. If the physical body faces no hindrances and the mind is free from distractions, manas becomes increasingly focused the more it contemplates. Samādhi deepens, wisdom unfolds, the state of body and mind grows increasingly harmonious, and spiritual joy intensifies.

Contemplating the Dharma meaning within such profound samādhi is entirely equivalent to deep observation, Chan meditation (参禅), and profound investigation (参究). The understanding of the Dharma meaning in the heart becomes increasingly clear. Once the contemplation penetrates through, the mind becomes resolutely certain, free from doubt, eliminating perplexity. If contemplating the content of severing the view of self and the essence of realizing the self-nature (明心) in this manner, once the contemplation and investigation bring clarity, the three fetters (三缚结) will be severed, and the fetter of doubt (疑结) will inevitably be broken. If it is derived from conscious reasoning and speculation, manas remains unenlightened; the fetter of doubt persists, karmic obstacles remain unremoved, and the cycle of birth and death cannot be severed.

Most people only know how to use the shallow thinking mode of consciousness and fail to employ the deep contemplation mode of manas. Consequently, they are unable to diligently practice Chan meditation and profound investigation, leading to emotional thinking and intellectual understanding (情思意解). The seed of doubt (疑情) remains unextinguished, the fetter of doubt persists. When encountering disturbances, doubt flares up intensely, and previously deduced Dharma principles may be overturned. Even if not overturned, they are not personally verified through realization and lack practical utility. Therefore, among those who now consider themselves enlightened, the ratio of false enlightenment is as high as the genuineness rate of pure gold, or even higher—certainly no less. This is the reality of the Dharma-ending age (末法时期). Regardless of how many people feel unwilling to accept it, this is the fact, corresponding perfectly to the faculties of beings and the background of this era in the Dharma-ending age. It will not be better than the periods of the True Dharma (正法时期) or the Semblance Dharma (像法时期)—absolutely not.