..续本文上一页tself and converges into a deep state of samadhi. Then the entire body exists as no more than a lump of matter—a log or a tree stump. When the citta withdraws from samadhi, conscious awareness returns to the body, spreading out to permeate every limb, every part. Awareness and the ability to know are fundamental functions of the citta—not of the physical body. In the normal waking consciousness of the meditator at this level of practice, the knowing presence is fully aware of itself, aware that the citta and the knowing are one and the same timeless essence; and that the physical elements know nothing. In samadhi, the body may disappear from awareness but the awareness itself never disappears.

　　 In truth, this is an immutable principle of nature. When the kilesas infiltrate the citta, however, they grasp everything as oneself—as me or mine—thus confusing one”s true nature with the sense faculties that it animates. Such is the nature of the kilesas. Wisdom is just the opposite: It knows the body clearly for what it is and corrects this misconception. The kilesas always grasp at the body, leading one to believe that the body is a special part of oneself. Wisdom sees the human body as just a conglomeration of common material substances, and consequently relinquishes all personal attachment to it.

　　 The brain, for instance, is a lump of matter. The brain is merely an instrument that human consciousness uses. When the citta enters into a deep state of calm and concentration, the conscious awareness that is normally diffused throughout the body simultaneously converges from all areas of the body into one central point of focus at the middle of the chest. The knowing quality manifests itself prominently at that point. It does not emanate from the brain. Although the faculties of memorization and learning arise in association with the brain, direct knowledge of the truth does not. Step by step, beginning with the initial stages of samadhi practice, progress in meditation is experienced and understood in the heart—and only in the heart. This is where the truth lies, and the meditator who practices correctly knows this each step of the way. When it comes to understanding the true nature of all phenomena, the brain is not a factor—it is not useful at all. The citta”s serene and radiant qualities are experienced at the heart. They emanate conspicuously from that point. All of the citta”s myriad aspects, from the grossest to the most subtle, are experienced clearly from this central spot. And when all defiling influences are finally eliminated from the citta, it is there that they all cease.

　　 Within the citta, sañña and sankhara are the main agents of delusion. Beginning with the latter stages of body contemplation at the level of Anagami, these mental components of personality take center stage. When the physical component of personality—the body—ceases to be a factor, the Anagami”s full focus automatically shifts to the mental components: feeling, memory, thought and consciousness. Among these, the faculties of memory and thought are especially important. They arise and interact continuously to form mental images that they color with various shades of meaning. In examining them, the same basic investigative principles still apply; but instead of images of the body, the thinking process itself becomes the subject of scrutiny.

　　 Using intense introspection, wisdom observes how thoughts and memories arise and then vanish, arise and then vanish, appearing and disappearing in an endless chain of mental activity. No sooner does a thought arise than it vanishes from awareness. Whatever its nature, the result is always the same: a thought lasts for only a brief moment and then it vanishes. The investigation zeros in …

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