DESCRIPTION

The fourth gate, Contemplation, is essentially the practice of vipaśyanā (’Insight’).

Reverse Orientation

In Chapter Seven Zhiyi notes that the previous methods of cultivating the Six Gates are techniques shared by practitioners of the ‘two vehicles’ (śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas), but ‘reversed’ (旋轉) orientation is exclusively a bodhisattva practice, “which involves emerging from the contemplation of emptiness into the contemplation of the conventional. This is just the knowledge of all modes (sarva-ākāra-jñatā) as perceived with the Dharma eye.”

One first “generates the great vow and abides in compassionate regard for beings. Even though one realizes that beings are ultimately empty of inherent existence, still, one wishes to bring beings to perfection and purify buddhalands, carrying on with this practice to the very exhaustion of future time.”

“After one has made this vow, one should immediately and completely understand that those very breaths which are being counted are not produced and not destroyed. Their nature is emptiness and quiescence. Whatsoever is breath is just emptiness. This is not a case of emptiness arrived at in the aftermath of the breath’s destruction. Rather, it is that the very nature of the breath is that it is inherently empty.”

“The bodhisattva perfects mindfulness of the breath by proceeding from “one” on up to “ten,” with complete and utter distinctness and clarity. With profound depth of mind, one distinguishes the characteristics of that very breath which, in nature, is like a mere conjuration.”

Realizations regarding the emptiness of breath

Worldly Dharma

“One falsely reckons that the breath actually exists. One consequently generates attachment to persons and dharmas and engages in practices rooted in affection and views. It is on account of this that we have what one refers to as “the world.” It is on account of [reckoning] that the breath exists that one then comes to have the aggregates, the sense realms, the sense bases, and the other resultant effects associated with undergoing worldly suffering and happiness.”

“The bodhisattva realizes that, although the breath is empty, it is still able to bring about the accomplishment of every form of cause-and-effect within the sphere of worldly dharma.”

Supramundane Dharma

“It is on account of realizing that the breath is empty and devoid of anything whatsoever that one consequently becomes free of delusion and the false attachment to all forms of fetters and afflictions. [One realizes that] there is no basis for their arising. This [realization] constitutes a causal basis for transcending the world.”

“Thus one realizes that the bodhisattva contemplates the breath as non-breath. Although no dharma is apprehended as either “worldly” or “supramundane,” still, one is able to make distinctions with regard to both the worldly and the supramundane.

Śrāvaka Dharma

“When bodhisattvas contemplate the nature of the breath as empty, they do not apprehend the four truths, and yet they still penetratingly understand the four truths.”

Pratyekabuddha Dharma

“Bodhisattvas, even in the midst of the complete understanding of the emptiness of the breath, do not engender any perception of the ultimate existence of the twelve causes and conditions. Still, they penetratingly understand the twelve causes and conditions.”

“All of the factors arise on account of not completely understanding that the breath is like empty space and is devoid of any inherently existent entity whatsoever. If one realizes that the breath is empty and quiescent, then one smashes the factor of ignorance.”

Bodhisattva Dharma ”Although they do not perceive in the nature of the breath either the obstructive conditions or the dharmas of the six perfections, still, the bodhisattvas possess a complete and utterly penetrative understanding of the six obstructive conditions (ṣaḍ-vipakṣa) and the six perfections (pāramitā).”

Four types of covetousness (’anti-giving’)

• Wealth - one realizes that the breath is empty, that it is non-self, and that apart from the breath, there is no self, either. Having failed to discover any self at all, one contemplates, “Just what is it then which is supplied and provided for by all of this stored-up material wealth?” At this time, the covetous mind immediately and naturally ceases.
• Body - the bodhisattva realizes that there is no inherently existent nature in the body, that the breath and all of the other related dharmas do not constitute a body, and that apart from the breath and other such dharmas, there is no separately existing body, either. At this time, one realizes that the body is really just a non-body. Consequently one immediately demolishes the attachment fundamental to any covetousness with respect to the body.
• Lifespan - if the practitioner is able to completely understand that the nature of the breath is emptiness, they do not perceive the breath as identical with a lifespan. Nor do they perceive that there exists any lifespan apart from the breath, either. Having been unable to discover [any ultimate existence of] a lifespan, they demolish the thought which assumes the existence of a lifespan characterized by any inherently-existent nature. At this time, one immediately becomes able to relinquish one’s life as a gift to furnish the needs of beings and is able to do so with a mind free of fearfulness.
• Dharma - if the practitioner achieves a penetrating understanding of the emptiness of the breath, they no longer perceive the inherent existence of the aggregates, sense bases, sense realms, or any other such dharmas, nor do they perceive the inherent existence of the characteristics of any of the various sorts of worldly or supramundane dharmas, either. The practitioner does have that which he proclaims, however, in actuality, there is nothing proclaimed and nothing explained, for the hearer of it has nothing heard and nothing gained thereby. At this time, although one practices the giving of Dharma, one does not possess any attachment to the giving of Dharma. There is no [calculated] kindness towards others and yet one nonetheless provides benefit to everyone. This is analogous to the great earth, empty space, and the sun and moon which provide benefit to the world and yet are free of any intentional regard for creatures and which do not seek anything in return for their kindnesses