Ordinary meditative concentration aims to gradually cease the activity of the six sense organs that are solely focused on external stimuli. While this would be the ideal outcome for those practicing meditative concentration, in reality, most people find it difficult to achieve. Why? Because they struggle to quiet their minds and instead become entangled in thoughts, agendas, worries, and distractions. To assist those who find it challenging to practice meditative concentration directly, contemplative meditation is offered as an alternative. The premise is that, since thoughts inevitably arise during meditation for them, it is essential to cultivate positive and constructive thoughts that can lead to genuine liberation or bring us closer to true awakening.
The previous explanation may seem too general for those unfamiliar with the concept, so let us expand a bit.
Ultimately speaking, all thoughts are intrinsically flawed. However, within this framework, we can make a relative distinction between "good" and "bad" thoughts. Since most individuals cannot immediately shift to cultivating "good" thoughts, we introduce a type of contemplative practice on certain views, which asymptotically approaches the ultimate, complete, and perfect view, such as the practice of "Mere Emptiness." This practice replaces the ceaseless stream of random thoughts with focused contemplation, a process known as "entering stillness through contemplative meditation." This form of contemplation acts as a preparatory stage rather than the ultimate goal. True meditation practice is the main practice of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen) and is termed "practice after realization" in Chan Buddhism. In this state of realization, what the mind perceives is ultimate, while all cognition preceding realization is considered relative or non-ultimate. This non-ultimate cognition essentially serves as a form of preparatory contemplative meditation practice.
There are other similar contemplative practices, such as viewing all phenomena as dreamlike and illusory, focusing on empty space, perceiving the surrounding world as empty as space itself, and visualizing the four elements (earth, water, fire, and air). One example is visualizing everything around us as water. The Surangama Sutra contains a story about the Moonlight Youth, who visualized his body and surroundings as entirely composed of water, and he actually transformed into water. While these views are not ultimate, complete, and perfect, they can effectively substitute for our incessant stream of meaningless thoughts, some of which may be rooted in negative emotions such as greed, anger, delusion, pride, and doubt.
Even during deep meditation, the mind can throw unexpected curveballs. You might suddenly find yourself reminiscing about a cherished memory, such as your first love, or dwelling on a past event, like someone borrowing money from you. These distractions often stem from deeper emotions such as attachment, anger, delusion, pride, or doubt.
Recognizing when you are stuck in these distractions can be quite challenging. In most cases, the mind wanders aimlessly, making it difficult to stay focused. This is why contemplative practices, as discussed earlier, can be so helpful—they provide a structured approach to replace these distracting thoughts.
Some practitioners take a different approach, focusing solely on achieving a state of meditative calmness. They might fix their gaze on an object or concentrate on their Dantian (the energy center below the navel). By doing so, they aim to gradually calm their six senses until their corresponding activities completely cease. However, even with the cessation of the six senses, the inner awareness, often called "inner luminosity," will never vanish.
What does it mean when we say that the inner luminosity never disappears? The ultimate inner luminosity is the true nature of the mind itself and will never vanish. Although it never disappears, we do not always recognize it. When we use it, it manifests as various forms of consciousness, such as bodily sensations, visual perception, and auditory perception.
When these forms of consciousness cease their activities, and the inner luminosity remains unrecognized, what is it at that point? It is still a type of consciousness known as Alayavijnana. While Alayavijnana can be considered a form of inner luminosity, it is not the ultimate, true inner luminosity.
The final important distinction in the Great Perfection and the last hurdle to achieving realization is differentiating between the luminosity of Alayavijnana and the luminosity of the nature of awareness. To reach enlightenment, you must be able to clearly distinguish between them. When this situation arises in your mind, knowing whether it is Alayavijnana or the nature of awareness is key. If you know it is either one, then it is definitely the nature of awareness. If you are unsure, it suggests it is Alayavijnana. If you cannot tell the difference between Alayavijnana and the nature of awareness, then it is likely Alayavijnana. If you are confident, then it is the nature of awareness, as Alayavijnana is part of the nature of awareness.
What does this mean? As a quote often found in scriptures and Chan texts goes: "Once you understand, not understanding is also understanding; once you don't understand, understanding is also not understanding." So, it is certain that this internal luminosity never disappears. In deep meditative states, sensory cognition might cease, but there remains a form of luminosity or knowing.
Excerpted from: Cognition and Expression Part Two
