Within the world of Chan and even more in Zen perhaps the most unthinkable concept to be brought into the open would be the question whether the Contemplation of the Great Master Shenxiu is a valid Direct Experience of Awakening.
You must judge for yourself, but considering the great political deceptions within Chan certainly it must be investigated.
The Contemplation method of 玉泉神秀 Yuquan Shenxiu
玉泉神秀 Yuquan Shenxiu (Shen-hsiu) 605-706
普寂 Puji (P'u-chi Sung-kao) -739
義福 Yifu (I-fu lan-shan) -732
和尚摩訶衍 Heshang Moheyan
other students of Shenxui:
Hsiang-mo Tsung
Hui-fu Yu-shan
Ching-hsien Sung Chou
Ta-t'ung Ho-shan
We can come here directly to the point for there is clear evidence with respect to his Contemplation method.
This was a fourfold formula for actually sitting:
First, "concentrating the mind in order to enter dhyana".
Second, "settling the mind in that state by watching its forms of purity".
Third, "arousing the mind to shine in insight".
Finally "controlling the mind for its inner verification".
Analysis of these phases shows them to be:
First, "concentration upon breathing".
Second, "the attainment of attentive Defensive Qi".
Third, "the no-mind and no-action, the Last Conceptualization, permitting the transition into the Non-Cognitive direct experiences".
Finally, "the discernment of the liberation".
The argument against this method:
Shenhui considered the concentration as "freezing the mind."
The attainment of the purity of Defensive Qi as "fixing the mind."
The no-mind and no-action of insight as "activation to illutrate the external."
The Discernment form memory as "concentrating to realize the internal."
Shen-hui said, "all this is 'hindrance to bodhi' (awakening)", and swept aside all forms of sitting in meditation 坐禪, zuochan (tso-ch'an), including the present zazen practiced by the Soto model, as entirely unnecessary.
He said: "If it is right to sit in meditation, then why should Vimalakirti scold Sariputta for sitting in meditation in the woods? Here in my school, to have no thoughts is meditation-sitting, and to see one's original nature is dhyana (Chan)."
We may then deduce that Shenxiu's Contemplation was an actual sitting contemplation.
We have the best view of what Shenxiu's contemplations were by viewing the teachings and contemplations of Heshang Moheyan.
Moheyan taught the "all-at-once" sudden gate as "gazing-at-mind", ganxin, and "no examining", buguan... "no-thought no-examining", bu-su bu-guan... It is the original East Mountain Dharma Gate teaching.
Certainly the system was one of "Traditional Sitting" Contemplation while Shenhui's was "sitting of the mind". We must conclude then that the sitting preparation would also be included as part of the "gradual" paradigm.
Shenxiu held that ALL thought (thinking and ideation) prevented Awakening.
He declared, “Not thinking, not pondering, non-examination, non-apprehension of an object---this is the immediate access [to liberation.]"
This, the Last Conceptualization, permitting the transition into the Non-
Cognitive direct experiences."
He also believed that actually performing good or evil acts, as conceptions, led to transmigration rather than liberation. Now this puts his position on daily practice on first glance diametrically opposed to Huineng's, who was imbued totally within the four sublime states. But Huineng was not impulsed by concepts, but by his Buddha Nature.
However, we must wonder if this too influenced his bitter attacks upon the East Mountain school, for he could hardly have been ignorant of this concept.
It would seem paradoxical that nevertheless he conceded that practices such as the “perfection of morality”, studying the sutras and teachings of the masters, and cultivating meritorious actions were appropriate.
This led to the framework of the attack upon the Eastern Model as being gradual, but Moheyan declared that these types of actions were only necessary for those of "dim" facility and “dull” propensity. Those of “sharp” and “keen” facility and propensity do not need these practices as they have “direct” access to the truth through contemplation, but he held that not everyone could achieve the highest state of meditation.
Moheyan claimed that when one gave up all conceptions, an automatic, all-at-once attainment of virtue resulted. He taught that there were two independent practices, the direct and then a concession to human psychology and scriptural tradition. The former was an “internal” practice to liberate the self of wisdom and the second an “external” practice to liberate others as expedient means.
The question that is important is what the last conceptulization of the practice was that was the vehicle for passing into the possible Awakening zone.
Since Shenxiu was the principal and revered disciple of Hongren, we assume that the last conceptualization for direct access was that of Hongren.
All of these seem to indicate a general synthesis of such notions as “Tathāgata”, “tathatā” and “Buddha-nature” as the goal which is the “vision” of completed cultivation. That cultivation itself is through observation of the “fundamental true mind” (本真心), but this is never described as being the result itself.
The Contemplation then developed by Hongren and continued by Shenxiu was the Ultimate Conceptualization of the Buddha Nature that rested within all human creatures.
The difficulty which first arises is in the task of raising the last Conceptualization of the Buddha Nature Experience.
Even if we say this is difficult, it is even perhaps just as difficult to actually, as a Vitakka preliminary advance, define the last Conceptualization with words and concepts.
What exactly is the Buddha Nature which is to be reached? Since you cannot know it until you reach it, how can it be defined? Well it can be defined, but it does require a deep understanding.
Perhaps it was the necessity for that understanding which led the rather paranoic Shenhui to call it a GRADUAL Contemplation and dismiss Shenxiu altogether.