Professor Lin Chong'an: Key Essentials of Samatha and Vipasyana from the *Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra* (Section on Śrāvakas), Part 3: The Four Objects of Meditation
(3) The Four Objects of Meditation
(3) The Four Objects of Meditation
◎ Practicing samatha and vipasyana always requires an object of meditation. ◎ In meditation, the mind is not a blank slate.
〔The Four Objects〕
What is meant by these objects? There are four kinds. Which four?
- The all-pervading object
- The purification-practice object
- The skillful-knowledge object
- The affliction-purifying object
1. The All-Pervading Object (four kinds)
What is the all-pervading object? It is again of four kinds:
- An image with discrimination
- An image without discrimination
- The limit of the object
- The accomplished task
1.1 What is an image with discrimination?
Consider a practitioner who, grounded either in Dharma heard or in a teacher's instruction, and drawing too on what has been seen, heard, or reflected upon, applies the vipasyana of the absorption-ground to the similar image of the object of knowledge—observing it, discriminating it, finely discriminating it, and thoroughly searching and examining it.
○ The objects of knowledge are: the impure (asubha), loving-kindness (maitrī), dependent nature and dependent origination, the distinctions of the elements, mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasati), skillful knowledge of the aggregates, of the elements, of the sense bases, of dependent origination, of the suitable and unsuitable, the coarse nature of the lower planes and the serene nature of the higher planes, and the four noble truths—suffering, origin, cessation, and path. These are called the objects of knowledge.
○ The similar image of the object of knowledge: taking these as their basis—whether through instruction and admonishment or through Dharma heard—the practitioner's absorption-ground attention comes to the fore, and they generate firm conviction in that Dharma, in that object of knowledge. Their conviction moves as though they were actually apprehending the object. Though the object itself is not present to direct perception—nor any other thing of its kind—through the absorption-ground's conviction-driven perception, a likeness of the object appears. For this reason, it is called the similar image of the object of knowledge.
○ The vipasyana practitioner, seeking to understand it, examines the merits and faults within the inherent nature of the object of knowledge.
This is what is called an image with discrimination.
1.2 What is an image without discrimination?
When the vipasyana practitioner has taken up such an image, they no longer observe it, discriminate it, or examine it from any angle. Instead, they quiet the mind through the practice of samatha on this meditated image, applying the ninefold sequence that steadies the mind: inward placement, sustained placement, full placement, close placement, taming, pacification, total pacification, one-pointedness, and balanced absorption. At that point, they are established on the image-without-discrimination as their object. Their mindfulness rests single-pointedly and continuously on the meditated image—no more observing, discriminating, or examining.
This is called an image without discrimination.
1.3 What is the limit of the object?
It refers to the object possessing two natures: the exhaustive all-inclusive nature and the suchness nature.
○ What is meant by the exhaustive all-inclusive nature? That beyond the form aggregate there is no other form; beyond feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, there are no other such aggregates. All conditioned phenomena are subsumed under the five aggregates; all dharmas under the elements and sense bases; all objects of knowledge under the four noble truths. This is called the exhaustive all-inclusive nature.
○ What is meant by the suchness nature? That the object is ultimate reality, the nature of tathatā—equipped with reasoning through four kinds of reasoning: reasoning by dependence, reasoning by function, reasoning by demonstration, reasoning by natural occurrence (dharmatā).
◎ Taken together, the exhaustive all-inclusive nature and the suchness nature of the object are collectively called the limit of the object.
1.4 What is the accomplished task?
It is this: through practicing, deepening, and steadily practicing samatha and vipasyana, all meditative attention directed at the image-objects is brought to fullness. This fullness enables a transformation of the basis, and all latent defilements are wholly extinguished. Once the basis is transformed, the practitioner goes beyond the images, and direct yogic perception (pratyakṣa) of the object of knowledge arises.
For one entering the first absorption, attaining the first dhyāna, this pertains to the object-sphere of the first dhyāna. So it is with the second, third, and fourth absorptions, and with the four formless attainments—boundless space, boundless consciousness, nothingness, and neither-perception-nor-non-perception. When each is attained, it pertains to the object-sphere of that attainment.
This is called the accomplished task.
◎ These four objects pervade all and enter every object of meditation. They were taught in common by perfectly awakened Buddhas of the past, present, and future. For this reason, they are called the all-pervading object (appendix: scriptural evidence for the all-pervading object).
2. The Purification-Practice Object (five kinds)
What is the purification-practice object? It refers to five kinds of meditated objects: the impure, loving-kindness and compassion, dependent nature and origination, the distinctions of the elements, and mindfulness of breathing.
2.1 The Impure Object
What is the impure object? Briefly, there are six kinds of impurity:
- The impurity of decay
- The impurity of suffering
- The impurity of inferiority
- The relative impurity
- The impurity of the afflictions
- The impurity of swift decay
2.2 The Loving-Kindness and Compassion Object
What is the loving-kindness and compassion object? It is to dwell equally, with a wish to benefit, toward friends, enemies, and those who are neither—capable of giving rise to a mind-set of the joy of the absorption-ground at the low, middle, and high levels.
Know that here, friends, enemies, and the middling are the object; the wish to benefit them along with the mind-set of absorption-level joy is what engages the object.
○ If one equally wishes to give happiness to the three—friends, enemies, and those who are neither—who are without pain and without pleasure, that is loving-kindness (maitrī). ○ If one equally wishes to remove the suffering of beings in pain and to rejoice in the happiness of beings at ease, that is compassion (karuṇā) and sympathetic joy (muditā). ○ Beings in pain are the object of compassion; beings at ease are the object of sympathetic joy.
This is the loving-kindness and compassion object.
2.3 The Dependent Nature and Origination Object
What is the dependent-nature-and-origination object? It is to contemplate, across the three times, nothing but process, nothing but dharmas, nothing but events, nothing but causes, nothing but effects—falling within right reasoning: reasoning by dependence, reasoning by function, reasoning by demonstration, reasoning by natural occurrence. Only dharmas give rise to dharmas; there is no doer and no receiver. This is called the dependent-nature-and-origination object.
2.4 The Object of the Distinctions of the Elements
What is the object of the distinctions of the elements? It is the six elements: earth, water, fire, wind, space, and consciousness.
2.5 The Object of Mindfulness of Breathing
What is the object of mindfulness of breathing? To mind the in-breath and out-breath is mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasmṛti). The in-breaths and out-breaths taken as its object are the object of mindfulness of breathing.
3. The Skillful-Knowledge Object (five kinds)
What is the skillful-knowledge object? It refers to five kinds, briefly:
- Skillful knowledge of the aggregates
- Skillful knowledge of the elements
- Skillful knowledge of the sense bases
- Skillful knowledge of dependent origination
- Skillful knowledge of the suitable and unsuitable
4. The Affliction-Purifying Object (two kinds)
What is the affliction-purifying object?
(By the mundane path:) Contemplating the coarse nature of the lower planes and the serene nature of the higher—for example, contrasting the desire realm with the first dhyāna, on up to contrasting the base of nothingness with the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
(By the supramundane path:) The supramundane-path affliction-purifying object is further of four kinds: 1. The noble truth of suffering; 2. The noble truth of origin; 3. The noble truth of cessation; 4. The noble truth of path.
◎ Conclusion: Thus the four objects of meditation have now been set forth: 1. The all-pervading object; 2. The purification-practice object; 3. The skillful-knowledge object; 4. The affliction-purifying object.
Appendix: Scriptural Evidence for the All-Pervading Object
The World-Honored Buddha once gave these teachings to the Elder Khadiravāriya.
The Elder Khadiravāriya asked the Blessed One: "Venerable One, for monks who diligently practice vipasyana as yogins—able to set the mind on a meditated object—for what object do they set the mind? How do they set the mind on the object? What is meant by a well-set mind?"
The Buddha replied to him: "Good! Good! You have put the question well. Listen closely and think it over carefully, and I will explain it for you."
◎ "Khadiravāriya, monks who diligently practice vipasyana as yogins—able to set the mind on a meditated object—may delight either in purification practice, in skillful knowledge, or in freeing the mind from all defilements. They set the mind on its appropriate object, on its similar object, and on its non-perverted object, and they do not abandon samādhi while doing so.
○ How does the vipasyana-practicing yogin set the mind on its appropriate object?
If a monk has a dominant greed-nature, they set the mind on the impure object. This is called setting the mind on its appropriate object.
If a monk has a dominant hatred-nature, they set the mind on loving-kindness and compassion.
If a monk has a dominant delusion-nature, they set the mind on dependent nature and origination.
If a monk has a dominant pride-nature, they set the mind on the distinctions of the elements.
If a monk has a dominant discursive-thought nature, they set the mind on mindfulness of breathing. This is called setting the mind on its appropriate object.
Khadiravāriya, and that same monk:
If ignorant of the defining characteristics of conditioned phenomena, and of self, person, life-force, sustainer, and individual—sets the mind on skillful knowledge of the aggregates.
If ignorant of cause—sets the mind on skillful knowledge of the elements.
If ignorant of condition—sets the mind on skillful knowledge of the sense bases.
If ignorant of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self—sets the mind on skillful knowledge of dependent origination and of the suitable and unsuitable.
If wishing to abandon attachment to the desire realm—sets the mind on the coarseness of desire and the serenity of form.
If wishing to abandon attachment to the form realm—sets the mind on the coarseness of form and the serenity of the formless.
If wishing to penetrate the truth, and wishing to be freed from the sense of self (satkāya) pervading every realm—sets the mind on the four noble truths.
This is how the vipasyana-practicing yogin sets the mind on its appropriate object.
○ Khadiravāriya, how does the vipasyana-practicing yogin set the mind on its similar object?
The monk, wishing to discriminate, finely discriminate, search, and examine each thing to be known, takes up something previously seen, heard, sensed, or known. Through the power of what has been seen, heard, sensed, and known, the practitioner applies the absorption-ground attention to think over and analyze it, generating conviction. Though unable to engage with the original object as it is directly present, a similar counterpart arises. On that object, there is a likeness of the original, known only through wisdom, seen only through right perception, only through correct recollection.
Furthermore, that monk calms the mind at one time and, at another, diligently practices vipasyana supported by the higher wisdom. This is how the vipasyana-practicing yogin sets the mind on its similar object.
○ Khadiravāriya, how does the vipasyana-practicing yogin set the mind on its non-perverted object?
It is when the vipasyana-practicing yogin, having set the mind on a meditated object, knows each domain according as it is, and so, without perversion, can fully understand the object of knowledge.
This is how the vipasyana-practicing yogin sets the mind on its non-perverted object.
○ Khadiravāriya, how does the vipasyana-practicing yogin manage not to abandon samādhi therein?
It is when the vipasyana-practicing yogin, correctly practicing on the object in this way, applies sustained and earnest cultivation, and from time to time cultivates the marks of samatha, mind-raising, and equanimity (upekṣā).
Through practice, deepening, and much practice, all latent defilements are wholly extinguished. With the attainment of purity of the support, purity of the meditated object is realized through directly seeing the object of knowledge. Through freedom from attachment, the purity of mind is wholly realized. Through freedom from ignorance, the purity of wisdom is wholly realized.
This is how the vipasyana-practicing yogin manages not to abandon samādhi therein.
◎ Khadiravāriya, this is how the monk sets the mind on the meditated object. Having set the mind on the object in this way, this is what is called a well-set mind."
◎ The World-Honored One here repeated a verse:
The practitioner cultivates all the marks, Knows the true meaning of every thing, Constantly abides through samatha on the image, And gains the realization of complete purity.
(1) "The practitioner cultivates all the marks" refers to the vipasyana practitioner cultivating the marks of samatha, mind-raising, and equanimity with sustained and earnest practice.
(2) "Knows the true meaning of every thing" refers to the limit of the object.
(3) "Constantly abides through samatha on the image" refers to the image with discrimination and the image without discrimination.
(4) "Gains the realization of complete purity" refers to the accomplished task.
◎ The World-Honored One spoke another verse here:
Thoroughly knowing the nature of the mind, Able to taste the flavor of withdrawal, Constant in samādhi and right mindfulness, One receives joy and happiness free from stain.
(1) "Thoroughly knowing the nature of the mind"—the image with discrimination and the image without discrimination are spoken of as the nature of the mind; the limit of the object is spoken of as thorough knowing.
(2) "Able to taste the flavor of withdrawal" refers to those who correctly practice on the object, delighting in cutting away and in cultivation.
(3) "Constant in samādhi and right mindfulness" refers to the steady, well-trained cultivation of samatha and vipasyana.
(4) "Receives joy and happiness free from stain" refers to the accomplished task.
◎ Thus, the all-pervading object, as set forth here, accords with the pure teaching and is consonant with right reason.