How to Select Appropriate Meditation Objects (Mind Training Section)

We usually attend to too many dharmas at every moment, leading to scattered thoughts, dispersed contemplation, and dissipated energy. This causes us to be unclear about any of the dharmas we are attending to, failing to generate wisdom. Consequently, our bodily, verbal, and mental actions become disordered, creating karmic afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. If we can apply the mind with focused diligence and contemplate deeply and thoroughly, we will see through the dharmas we attend to, refrain from foolish actions, and attain liberation.

To train the mental faculty (manas) to reduce its grasping at external objects, narrowing attention to the point of attending to only one dharma at a single moment, thereby enhancing concentration, we must seek a suitable object of focus for our contemplation practice. We need to find a target that interests the mental faculty and allows it to penetrate deeply, enabling it to observe purely, intuitively, and free from distracting thoughts. Only after concentration is enhanced can wisdom increase.

What kind of object of focus is easy to penetrate? In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the twenty-five sages each realized perfect penetration (圓通) through the six sense faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses, or through the six great elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness). Any dharma can be contemplated and used to realize perfect penetration. Perfect penetration means complete understanding, complete penetration into and realization of the emptiness of that dharma—the emptiness principle of the Hinayana and the emptiness nature of the Mahayana. Since perfect penetration can be attained through the six sense faculties, six sense objects, six consciousnesses, or six great elements, then every dharma can lead to perfect penetration; every dharma is an entry point for realizing the Way. However, due to limited energy, each practitioner must choose only one entry point suitable for themselves, diligently focusing on contemplation to break through and enter the Way. After entering the Way, one will gradually become proficient in all dharmas.

If choosing the eye faculty as the entry point, one must select an appropriate form object (色塵) corresponding to it. Once a suitable choice is made, mentally accepted, and feels comfortable and pleasant, contemplation will proceed smoothly. The chosen object should be simple and clear, not large in size, with uncomplicated shape and color, so as not to draw excessive attention or evoke various thoughts and emotions, leading to rampant delusions that contradict the original intention of practice and prevent entry into normal, serene contemplation.

Simple form objects include the tip of an incense stick, beans, balls, pens, one's own fingertip, toe tip, hair, clothing buttons, etc. Simple form objects, especially familiar ones, do not require exploration or analysis, do not cause emotional fluctuations, allow the mind to remain calm and serene, and facilitate concentration.

During contemplation, use only intuition to observe. Observe whatever is present on the form object; do not mentally fabricate unseen details. This is direct experiential observation (現量觀行). Mental fabrication is erroneous observation (非量觀行), which is inadvisable, yields unreal results, and achieves no outcome. Observing a form object is not researching it; do not contemplate its size, shape, length, or whether the color is vivid or not. These are contents of mental analysis; analyzing them is useless. The result of contemplation is unrelated to these contents; samadhi is not realized through them. One might ask: Then what exactly is observed, and what is realized? As one progresses in practice, it will gradually become known—ineffably wonderful. As for how wonderful, observe the samadhi states of the twenty-five sages.

If choosing the ear faculty as the entry point, one must select an appropriate sound object (聲塵). The sound should not be fluctuating or too melodious, lest it cause emotional agitation and flights of fancy. The sound should be somewhat monotonous and soft; sounds with noise that disturb the mind are unusable. The ticking of a small alarm clock or wristwatch is suitable, as it can be carried along, allowing one to hear the sound anytime. Once accustomed, hearing the sound will calm the mind. Most convenient are one's own heartbeat, breathing, faint tapping of a finger, teeth clicking, etc. The sound of a wooden fish (muyu) is even better; record it with a phone and set it to auto-repeat.

If choosing the nose faculty as the entry point, one must select an appropriate smell object (香塵). Choose a faint, fresh fragrance; the scent should not be strong, lest it generate greed. Suitable options include spice scents, fruit scents, flower scents, grass scents, etc.

If choosing the tongue faculty as the entry point, one must select an appropriate taste object (味塵). Taste objects are all in the mouth; the most direct and convenient method is to mindfully observe saliva or the taste in the mouth, or to hold nuts, date pits, etc., in the mouth. The taste should be mild, not too rich or fragrant, otherwise greed may arise, causing thoughts to scatter, delusions to intertwine, and the mind to become unsettled.

If choosing the body faculty as the entry point, one must select an appropriate touch object (觸塵). The touch object must be in contact with the body, portable, and constantly accompanying the body. Thus, using a part of one's own body is most convenient, such as gently touching the forehead with a hand, pressing the pulse, swaying the waist while sitting cross-legged, or holding a ball, small stone, prayer beads, nut, etc. Avoid significant friction, lest it require too much attention and scatter the mind.

If choosing the mental faculty (意根) as the entry point, one must select an appropriate mental object (法塵). The simpler it is, the easier it is to settle the mind. Examples include counting Arabic numerals from 1 to 100 repeatedly, counting beans in a small pocket by touch, counting prayer beads, counting breaths, counting heartbeats, counting one's fetal breathing (胎息), or reciting Buddha's name or mantras—all are good methods. Practicing from the mental faculty is slightly more difficult than practicing from the five physical sense faculties.

Choose an object that allows contemplation at any time during walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, enabling continuous contemplation practice. One should be able to contemplate even while working or conversing with others, without affecting daily affairs. During conversation, if the content is not particularly important and does not require full attention to listen and respond, one can talk and respond while simultaneously contemplating—such as observing the other person's collar or buttons, or focusing on one's own breath, counting breaths, etc. If one's workplace frequently holds meetings that are not particularly important, this time should be well utilized, not wasted. In the meeting room, select any sense object at will, partially attending the meeting and partially contemplating, without neglecting either.

Such direct observation can be applied to guiding children's learning. This is a method to train concentration and develop meditative concentration (定) and wisdom (慧). Mundane and supramundane meditative concentration and wisdom are universal, both utilizing the same mind. Once well-trained, a child's academic performance will naturally improve, comprehension and self-learning abilities will naturally strengthen, and even innovative abilities may emerge.