Professor Lin Chong'an: *Essential Points of Samatha and Vipassanā in the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra, Śrāvakabhūmi* Part 4: Seven Types of Mental Engagement and the Sixteen Aspects of the Four Noble Truths

(4) Seven Types of Mental Engagement and the Sixteen Aspects of the Four Noble Truths

◎ To end suffering, one must contemplate and cultivate the Four Noble Truths.

◎ This practice involves seven types of mental engagement and sixteen aspects.

〔Contemplating and Cultivating the Four Noble Truths〕

◎ Those who long to set out on the supra-mundane path should rest their attention on the Four Noble Truths and bring forth, step by step, the seven types of mental engagement: first, 1. Understanding the Marks (了相作意), 2. Settled Conviction (胜解作意), 3. Withdrawal (远离作意), 4. Observational Engagement (观察作意), 5. Joyful Engagement (摄乐作意), 6. Culmination of Practice Engagement (加行究竟作意), and finally, 7. Engagement as the Fruit of Culminated Practice (加行究竟果作意)—until the fruit of arhatship is reached.

【1. Understanding the Marks】

◎ A yoga practitioner who has thoroughly studied the concise summaries and detailed explanations of the exalted teachings on the Four Noble Truths, received and retained them, and has either already well cultivated these mental engagements or attained the four dhyānas and the formless absorptions, examines the suffering truth through four modes: impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and no-self. He examines the origin truth through four modes: cause, accumulation, arising, and condition. He examines the cessation truth through four modes: cessation, peace, excellence, and liberation. And he examines the path truth through four modes: path, authenticity, practice, and exit. This is what is meant by "Understanding the Marks."

〔Four Aspects of the Suffering Truth〕

◎ By observing the suffering truth through ten modes, one can penetrate its four aspects. What are the ten? 1. Mode of change; 2. Mode of destruction; 3. Mode of separation; 4. Mode of inherent nature; 5. Mode of convergence; 6. Mode of bondage; 7. Mode of unattractiveness; 8. Mode of insecurity; 9. Mode of no-obtainment; 10. Mode of non-subjugation.

◎ In this way, the practitioner gathers these ten modes into four aspects, and through those four aspects, comes to know the characteristics of the suffering truth.

○ The impermanence aspect gathers five modes: 1. mode of change; 2. mode of destruction; 3. mode of separation; 4. mode of inherent nature; 5. mode of convergence.

○ The suffering aspect gathers three modes: 1. mode of bondage; 2. mode of unattractiveness; 3. mode of insecurity.

○ The emptiness aspect gathers one mode: the mode of no-obtainment.

○ The no-self aspect gathers one mode: the mode of non-subjugation.

〔Four Aspects of the Origin Truth〕

◎ Having clearly realized the characteristics of the suffering truth through the four modes, the practitioner next examines the suffering truth itself: What causes it? What accumulates it? What gives rise to it? What conditions it? By severing these, suffering too is severed. In this way, one uses the four aspects of the origin truth to know the origin truth's characteristics.

○ Knowing that "craving" draws suffering forth, it is called the cause.

○ Having drawn suffering forth, it then gathers and brings it into being; it is called accumulation.

○ Having given rise to suffering, it sets it in motion; it is called arising.

○ And because it can take in the seeds of future suffering and draw them forth in sequence, it is called condition.

〔Four Aspects of the Cessation Truth〕

○ Having clearly realized the origin truth's characteristics, one further realizes: this origin truth, wholly extinguished without remainder, is called cessation.

○ All suffering truth, wholly still without remainder, is called peace.

○ This very cessation and peace, being first, supreme, and unsurpassed, is called excellence.

○ Being eternal and forever freed, it is called liberation.

〔Four Aspects of the Path Truth〕

○ Having clearly realized the cessation truth's characteristics, one further realizes the true counteractive path: because it can seek the meaning of what is to be known, can truly seek that meaning, can revolve through the four gates (i.e., the distinctions of the four noble truths), and can lead one unerringly toward nirvana, it is called path, authenticity, practice, and exit.

◎ This is the "Understanding the Marks"—the direct, inner realization of the Four Noble Truths. Having thus seen the aggregates within, examined them correctly according to the principles of the four truths, the practitioner then uses analogical reasoning to examine the aggregates of other distinct realms that are not directly present.

◎ Know also that this "Understanding the Marks" is still intermixed with hearing the teachings and reflective analysis.

【2. Settled Conviction】

◎ When the practitioner has examined the four truths again and again in this way, he has reached decisive, confirmed understanding of the four truths' proven principles through the sixteen aspects. Transcending the mental engagement that mixed hearing and reflection, he now generates an unwavering settled conviction in the full extent and the true nature of all realities pertaining to the truths—this is "Settled Conviction." This engagement takes the truths alone as its object and remains constantly in samādhi.

【A. The Full Extent of All Realities Pertaining to the Truths】

◎ On the suffering and origin truths

Through cultivating, practicing, and continually familiarizing oneself with this, one gains boundless wisdom within the realm of the suffering and origin truths. Through this wisdom, one understands impermanence and generates a boundless settled conviction in impermanence. Likewise, understanding suffering and the rest, one generates boundless settled convictions in suffering, in emptiness and no-self, in unwholesome actions, in rebirth in the lower realms, in rise and decline, and in the boundless suffering of aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, grief, and all affliction.

Here, "boundless" means the endless turning of the wheel of birth and death.

◎ On the cessation truth

1. Cessation: All these dharmas are boundless and endless. As long as birth and death continue without cease, these dharmas are ever present. Only when birth and death are wholly extinguished without remainder is there true cessation; there is no other way to bring this about.

2. Peace: Within all these forms of existence and realms of birth and death, one generates settled conviction through the practice of non-attachment, non-reliance, and deep turning-away. One strives diligently to cultivate this settled conviction.

3. Excellence: Further, feeling deep aversion and fear toward the higher aspirations for worldly existence and rebirth, one arouses a single deep longing for nirvana. Yet for a long time, one's mind has delighted in worldly forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects; these have fed and accumulated within one. Because of this, even though one deeply longs for nirvana, one cannot enter it, cannot gain pure certainty about it, cannot abide in it, cannot hold settled conviction in it, and the mind turns away. Not having yet generated deep reverence for the realm of peace, and still harboring doubts, the mind repeatedly feels aversion and alarm.

4. Liberation: Even though one repeatedly turns away in aversion and alarm from the suffering and origin truths, and repeatedly arouses deep longing for nirvana, one still cannot enter deeply. Why? Because the gross self-conceit that obstructs direct realization still enters one's mental engagement, now and again. One thinks: "I have long wandered in birth and death; I shall wander in birth and death again; I shall be able to enter nirvana; I cultivate wholesome dharmas for nirvana; I can see that suffering is truly suffering, that origin is truly origin, that cessation is truly cessation, that the path is truly the path; I can see that emptiness is truly emptiness, that non-attachment is truly non-attachment, that no-marks is truly no-marks; all these dharmas belong to me." Because of this, even with deep longing for nirvana, the mind cannot enter.

◎ On the path truth

1. Path: Once one knows that this self-conceit is an obstruction, one can quickly cut through it with wisdom.

2. Authenticity: One abandons the mental engagement that runs on passively, subdues all external objects of knowledge, and turns toward the correct mental engagement.

3. Practice: Following the course of one's mental engagement, one observes the noble truths with single-pointed, unbroken effort. As each moment of mind arises and falls, the next moment of observing engagement arises in turn, an unbroken flow of skillful attention.

4. Exit: Having thus used mind to observe mind, with single-pointed effort that never flags, one no longer allows the entering self-conceit to arise, since it is blocked by direct realization.

【B. Realizing the True Nature of All Realities Pertaining to the Truths】

◎ Realizing the suffering truth: The diligent yoga practitioner observes the mind's continuum—how it differs from moment to moment, freshly arising, sometimes increasing, sometimes decreasing, briefly present, suddenly appearing, shifting from one instant to the next. This is the nature of impermanence.

○ Seeing the mind's continuum as included in the grasping aggregates—this is the nature of suffering.

○ Seeing the mind's continuum as apart from any second dharma—this is the nature of emptiness.

○ Seeing the mind's continuum as arising from conditions, without autonomy—this is the nature of no-self.

◎ Realizing the origin truth: Next, one observes that this mind's continuum has craving as its cause, craving as its accumulation, craving as its arising, and craving as its condition.

◎ Realizing the cessation truth: Next, one observes that the cessation of this mind's continuum is the nature of permanent extinction, permanent peace, permanent excellence, and permanent liberation.

◎ Realizing the path truth: Next, one observes that the path which ultimately counteracts this mind's continuum and leads to cessation is the nature of true path, true authenticity, true practice, and true exit.

◎ What was not well examined before is now carefully observed through skillful mental engagement, and with subtle wisdom one can correctly realize the Four Noble Truths. By approaching, practicing, and deeply familiarizing oneself with this wisdom, the equally balanced wisdom of knower and known arises.

Through its arising, one cuts off the gross, active self-conceit that obstructs one's love and longing for nirvana. With a deep aspiration for nirvana, one quickly enters it, the mind no longer turning back, free of all fear, drawing in the joy and gladness of elevated intention.

【Arising of the Four Wholesome Roots】

1. Heat: For such a practitioner, the equally balanced wisdom of subject and object arising within the lowest patience of the path of seeing—this is called heat.

2. Summit: The equally balanced wisdom arising within the middle patience—this is called summit.

3. Acceptance of the Truths: The equally balanced wisdom arising within the highest patience—this is called acceptance of the truths.

4. Foremost Worldly Dharma: Having thus severed the gross self-conceit that obstructs direct realization, and having drawn in the joy and gladness of elevated intention for nirvana, one can let go of the subsequent observing activities of mind and abide in a mind without contrivance and without conceptualization. At that moment, the mind seems extinguished yet is not truly extinguished, seems without object yet is not without object.

○ Having attained this mind close to direct realization, one will soon enter the state of entering the true nature, freed from cyclic existence. This is the final moment of non-conceptual mind within that tranquil stage. From it, without interval, one generates internal mental engagement toward the noble truths previously observed. This is called the "foremost worldly dharma."

◎ Up to and including the foremost worldly dharma, this is called Settled Conviction.

【3. Withdrawal】

◎ From here, without interval, one generates internal mental engagement toward the noble truths previously observed. Without interval after that, in the order of the previously observed truths—whether directly seen or not—the non-conceptual, decisive wisdom of direct perception arises for each in turn.

1. Cutting Off Obstructions

◎ Through its arising, all the heavy, gross imprints of the afflictions belonging to the three realms that are severed at the path of seeing, along with their dependent bases, are forever cut off.

2. Attaining the Fruit

◎ If one had not previously severed attachment to the desire realm, then now—having entered this direct realization of the truths and with the heavy imprints forever stilled—one attains the fruit of stream-entry.

◎ From the direct realization of the noble truths through to the complete severing of all afflictions cut off at the path of seeing, this is called "Withdrawal."

◎ Because the knowing wisdom and the known object are joined, observed together without discord, this is called "direct realization." It bears many characteristic marks:

○ Through realizing this direct realization, one gains four kinds of wisdom: through skillfully investigating all one's activities and abidings, one gains the wisdom that knows only dharmas, the wisdom of non-destruction, the wisdom of non-perishing, and the wisdom that knows conditioned arising to be like an illusion.

○ Even if, through lapses of mindfulness, intense afflictions suddenly arise when encountering objects, a moment's application of mind quickly dispels them.

○ One will never fall into the lower realms, never intentionally violate one's training, and would not harm life even among animals.

○ One will never turn back or abandon one's training, and can no longer commit the five acts of immediate retribution.

○ One knows for certain that suffering and happiness are not self-made, not made by another, not made by both, and not made by neither without cause.

○ One will never seek out non-Buddhist teachers, nor regard them as fields of merit.

○ Toward other śramaṇas and brahmins, one will never glance at their mouths or faces.

○ One sees the Dharma oneself, attains it, knows it, and realizes its source. One crosses beyond all doubt, not led by another. In the Teacher's teaching one is free from fear, and never mistakenly counts worldly omens and auspicious signs as purity.

○ One will never again undergo an eighth rebirth.

○ One fully accomplishes the four kinds of unshakable confidence—in the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the precepts.

【4. Observational Engagement; 5. Joyful Engagement】

◎ Through "Observational Engagement," on the path of cultivation one repeatedly examines what has been severed and what remains, and cultivates the path in accordance with what has been realized.

◎ As one diligently cultivates the practice, one should at fitting times examine which afflictions have been severed and which have not; at fitting times, one should feel deep aversion toward what is to be avoided, and at fitting times, deep longing toward what is to be welcomed. This is called "Joyful Engagement."

◎ The categories of cultivation are eleven in number:

1. Śamatha cultivation: the nine practices that settle the mind, as described earlier.

2. Vipaśyanā cultivation: also as described earlier.

3. Mundane path cultivation: seeing the gross characteristics of the lower realms and the peaceful characteristics of the higher realms, up to and including the complete detachment that reaches the sphere of nothingness.

4. Supra-mundane path cultivation: right reflection—"suffering is truly suffering, origin is truly origin, cessation is truly cessation, path is truly path"—carried by the unconditioned noble path beginning with right view, up to and including the complete detachment that reaches the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.

5. Lower-grade path cultivation: that which severs the coarsest, heaviest grade of afflictions.

6. Middle-grade path cultivation: that which severs all afflictions of middle grade.

7. Higher-grade path cultivation: that which severs the final, lightest grade of afflictions.

8. Path of preparation cultivation: that by which one generates the effort to sever afflictions.

9. Uninterrupted path cultivation: that by which one directly severs afflictions.

10. Path of liberation cultivation: that by which, in the very instant of severing, one attains liberation.

11. Path of superior progress cultivation: that by which, after this, one cultivates ever more wholesome dharmas, until the moment before the antidotes to the next realm's afflictions arise, or before one enters the final, ultimate stage.

【6. Culmination of Practice Engagement】

◎ By approaching, practicing, and deeply familiarizing oneself with this Joyful Engagement, one gains the ability to wholly and forever sever all afflictions cut off at the path of cultivation, giving rise at the final stage of the learner to a samādhi likened to the vajra. Through its arising, all afflictions cut off at the path of cultivation are forever severed. The mental engagement included in this vajra-like samādhi is called "Culmination of Practice Engagement."

Question: Why is this samādhi called "vajra-like"?

Answer: Just as a diamond, among all other gems—sapphires, pearls, crystal, conch, jade, coral, and other treasures—is the hardest and most solid, able to pierce and shatter the other gems, while none of the others can pierce or shatter it, so too this samādhi, among all the samādhis of those still on the path, is the highest, most supreme, and most solid. It can shatter every form of affliction, and no affliction can suppress it. For this reason, it is called "vajra-like."

◎ From this vajra-like samādhi, without interval, one forever destroys all the heavy seeds of the afflictions. The mind is utterly freed from them, and one attains the ultimate purity of the awakened lineage.

【7. Engagement as the Fruit of Culminated Practice】

◎ The mental engagement included in the supreme fruit of arhatship is called "Engagement as the Fruit of Culminated Practice."

○ One fully accomplishes the "six constant abidings": having seen a form with the eye, one is neither pleased nor distressed, but abides in supreme equanimity, with right mindfulness and clear knowing. Likewise, having heard a sound with the ear, smelled an odor with the nose, tasted a flavor with the tongue, felt a tangible object with the body, or known a mental object with the mind, one is neither pleased nor distressed, but abides in supreme equanimity, with right mindfulness and clear knowing.

○ Even on hearing thunder, lightning, crashing hail, or seeing any number of terrifying sights, one is not deeply afraid.

○ One abides in the "nirvāṇa with remainder," having crossed the sea of birth and death and reached the far shore. This is also called "bearing the final bodily existence."

○ The aggregates drawn forth by past karma and afflictions naturally cease, with no further grasping, no continuation, and one enters parinirvāṇa in the "nirvāṇa without remainder."

◎ In this, there is ultimately no one who enters parinirvāṇa, just as there is no one who wanders through birth and death. There is only the unending extinction, stillness, coolness, and passing away of suffering—and this is the most peaceful of all places: the complete casting off of every reliance, the exhaustion of craving, freedom from desire, permanent extinction, nirvāṇa.