The Pervasive Object

What is the object [of meditation]?

It is said: There are four noble objects [ārya-ālambana-vastu].

What four?

The pervasive object [vyāpī-ālambana], the conduct-purifying object [carita-viśodhana], the skill object [kauśalya], and the defilement-purifying object [kleśa-viśodhana].

What is the pervasive object?

It is said: It too is fourfold: namely, the image with conceptual construction [savikalpa-pratibimba], the image without conceptual construction [nirvikalpa-pratibimba], the full extent of the substance [vastu-paryantatā], and the consummation of the work [kārya-pariniṣpatti].

What is the image with conceptual construction?

A certain person, relying on hearing the true dharma or on instruction-and-counsel, taking what has been seen, heard, or imagined, investigates — by aspects of vipaśyanā grounded in the concentrated plane — an image-with-conceptual-construction conformable to the substance to be known [jñeya-vastu]. He investigates, investigates closely, deliberates, and engages in thorough examination.

What is the substance to be known?

Namely: unattractiveness [aśubha], lovingkindness [maitrī], this-conditional dependent origination [idaṃ-pratyayatā pratītya-samutpāda], the analysis of elements [dhātu-prabheda], and mindfulness of breathing [ānāpāna-smṛti]; skill-in-aggregates [skandha-kauśalya], skill-in-elements, skill-in-bases [āyatana-kauśalya], skill-in-dependent-origination, skill-in-the-possible-and-impossible [sthānāsthāna-kauśalya]; the grossness of the lower planes, the calmness of the upper planes, the truth of arising, the truth of cessation, and the truth of the path. This is called the substance to be known.

With respect to this substance-to-be-known: having come to instruction or hearing of the true dharma, and relying on that, he manifests attention grounded in the concentrated plane and resolves on those very dharmas. Thus he resolves on the substance-to-be-known. At that time, the resolve proceeds either as ‘experienced through direct perception’ or as ‘[grounded] in the substance-to-be-known.’ That substance-to-be-known becomes present — gathered close, manifest; not, however, as a thing of that very kind, but as a resolve-experience. It is such a kind of attention-experience grounded in the concentrated plane by which something corresponding to that substance-to-be-known comes to be — an appearance — and by this it is called an image conformable to the substance-to-be-known. When the practitioner, reviewing this practice, examines that substance-to-be-known under consideration and determines its qualities and faults — this is called the image with conceptual construction.

What is the image without conceptual construction?

This practitioner, having grasped the sign from the image, no longer investigates, examines closely, deliberates, or engages in thorough examination. Rather, taking that very object without clinging and by way of the meaning-aspect, he calms that sign. Rather, by the nine-fold mental abiding, he places the mind inwardly, places it continuously, places again, places closely; tames, pacifies, fully pacifies; makes single-pointed, and concentrates. At that time, that image-without-conceptual-construction is his object — where he establishes one-aspected one-pointed mindfulness on the object. That is the object; he does not investigate, deliberate, or thoroughly examine. And that image is simply called an image [pratibimba]. These are the alternate names of the image conformable to the substance-to-be-known.

What is the substance’s full extent [vastu-paryantatā]?

It is the yāvad-bhāvikatā (as-far-as-it-goes-ness) of the object, and its yathāvad-bhāvikatā (as-it-actually-is-ness).

What is yāvad-bhāvikatā?

[That] beyond which there is no further form-aggregate, feeling-aggregate, perception-aggregate, formations-aggregate, or consciousness-aggregate — the comprehensive gathering of all conditioned substances by the five [aggregates]; the comprehensive gathering of all dharmas by the elements and bases; the comprehensive gathering of all substances-to-be-known by the noble truths. This is called yāvad-bhāvikatā.

What is yathāvad-bhāvikatā?

The actuality [bhūtatā] of the object and its suchness [tathatā], endowed with the reasonings — its reasoning-endowed-ness; namely, by dependence-reasoning [apekṣā-yukti], cause-and-effect reasoning [kārya-kāraṇa-yukti], proof-establishing reasoning [upapatti-sādhana-yukti], and nature-of-things reasoning [dharmatā-yukti]. Thus the yāvad-bhāvikatā and yathāvad-bhāvikatā of the object, summarized as one, is called the full extent of the substance.

What is the consummation of the work?

When, through familiarization, cultivation, and frequent practice, the śamatha-vipaśyanā attention with image-as-object is fulfilled — by that fulfillment, the attention with image-as-object [is complete] — it is fulfilled. By that fulfillment, the support [āśraya] is transformed [parivartate]. All encumbrances are tranquillized. Through the transformation of the support [āśraya-parivṛtti], transcending the image, there arises in that very substance-to-be-known direct knowing-and-seeing without conceptual construction. This arises for the attainer of the first dhyāna in the range of the first dhyāna; for the attainer of the second, third, fourth dhyāna — for the attainer of the fourth dhyāna — in the range of the fourth dhyāna; and for the attainer of the ākāśānantyāyatana, vijñānānantyāyatana, ākiñcanyāyatana, and naivasaṁjñā-nāsaṁjñāyatana attainments, in their respective ranges. This is called the consummation of the work.

These [four] are: the four objects. Universal, present in all objects, taught by the past, future, and present perfectly-awakened ones. Therefore it is called the [Damaged/Conjectural: pervasive] object. Furthermore, this object [pertains] both to the śamatha side and to the vipaśyanā side; it has all-substance-ness, true-substance-ness, and cause-effect-substance-ness. Therefore it is called pervasive.

[As to] ‘the image with conceptual construction’ — this is on the vipaśyanā side. [As to] ‘the full extent of the substance’ — this concerns all-substance-ness and true-substance-ness. [As to] ‘the consummation of the work’ — this is the cause-effect connection.

As spoken by the Blessed One, addressing the venerable Revata. Thus it is heard: The venerable Revata asked the Blessed One a question.

"To what extent, venerable sir, is a monk-yogī-yogācāra one whose mind is bound to an object? In which object does he bind the mind?

How, further, is the mind well-bound to the object?" "Excellent, Revata, excellent. You ask me well, Revata. On this matter, you ask. Therefore listen, attend well; I will speak. Here, Revata, the monk-yogī-yogācāra, wishing to purify conduct, or to develop skill, or to liberate the mind from outflows — binds the mind to a suitable object. He binds it to a corresponding object, properly. There he is one who does not reject [the contemplation].

How does he bind the mind to a suitable object?

If, Revata, this monk-yogī-yogācāra is of lust-conduct, he does not bind the mind to an attractive object [śubha-ālambana]. Thus he binds it to a suitable object. The hatred-conduct one [binds it] to lovingkindness; the delusion-conduct one to this-conditional dependent origination; the conceit-conduct one to the analysis of elements. If, Revata, this monk-yogī-yogācāra is of applied-thought-conduct, he binds the mind to mindfulness of breathing. Thus he binds it to a suitable object.

If, Revata, this monk is confused about the specific characteristic of conditioned things but binds the mind to skill, [it is suitable]. The cause-confused [binds it to] skill-in-elements; the condition-confused to skill-in-bases. One wishing to make dispassion toward the desire-realm [binds the mind to] the grossness of sense-pleasures and the calmness of forms; one wishing dispassion toward forms — binds the mind to the grossness of forms and the calmness of the formless. Or, one wishing disenchantment with the satkāya and liberation [binds the mind to] the truth of suffering, the truth of arising, the truth of cessation, and the truth of the path. Thus indeed, Revata, the monk-yogī-yogācāra — binds the mind to a suitable object.

Here, Revata, whatever the monk wishes to investigate as the substance-to-be-known — wishes to investigate closely, wishes to deliberate, wishes to thoroughly examine — that has been previously seen by him, heard, thought, or cognized. Taking that very seen-heard-thought-cognized as governing, with attention grounded in the concentrated plane, he attends to it. He resolves with conceptual construction. He does not see that very substance-to-be-known itself made present in concentration; rather, a representation of it arises. Its appearance, a mere knowing, a mere seeing, a mere remembered-mark — that is the object. This monk-yogī-yogācāra binds the mind properly to the object.

If, Revata, this monk-yogī-yogācāra binds the mind to the object to the full extent that the knowable substance is to be known — and [knows] it as it actually is, with an unperverted mind — thus indeed, Revata, this monk-yogī-yogācāra binds the mind properly to the object.

And how, Revata, is this monk-yogī-yogācāra non-rejecting in his contemplation?

If, Revata, this monk is thus properly applied in the object, of continuous-application, and of careful-application, from time to time he cultivates the sign of śamatha, the sign of taking-up [effort], and the sign of equanimity. Through familiarization, cultivation, and frequent practice, all encumbrances are tranquillized, and he attains purity-of-support. He touches, contacts; realizes it. By examining the substance-to-be-known, [he attains] purity-of-object; by dispassion-from-lust, purity-of-mind; by dispassion-from-ignorance — he attains purity-of-knowing. He touches, contacts, realizes.

Here is the verse: "The yogī who moves in signs, knowing all the meaning of true substance — the image-contemplator, sustained, attains purity."

When he says 'moving in signs' — by this the śamatha-sign, the taking-up-sign, the equanimity-sign, and the constancy of action in them, are named. When he says 'knowing all the meaning of true substance' — by this, vastu-paryantatā (the substance's full extent) is named. When he says 'the image-contemplator, sustained' — by this, the image-with-conceptual-construction and the image-without-conceptual-construction are named. When he says 'attains purity' — by this, the consummation of the work is named.

Again it has been said by the Blessed One: “The one skilled in the sign of mind knows the taste of seclusion and the seclusion-state — the contemplator, prudent, mindful, eats the rapture-and-happiness free of worldly attachments [nir-āmiṣa].”

When he says ‘skilled in the sign of mind’ — by this, the image with conceptual construction and the image without conceptual construction [savikalpa- and nirvikalpa-pratibimba] are named under the term ‘sign.’ Vastu-paryantatā is named by the term ‘skilled.’ When he says ‘knows the taste of seclusion and seclusion-state’ — by this, the delight-in-abandonment and delight-in-cultivation of the one properly applied to the object are named. When he says ‘contemplator, careful, mindful’ — by this, the constancy of śamatha-vipaśyanā cultivation is named. When he says ‘eats rapture-and-happiness free of worldly attachments’ — by this, the consummation of the work is named. Thus indeed this vyāpī-ālambana should be known as purified by trustworthy testimony, and as consistent with reasoning. This is called the pervasive object.