Page 86 - Dhamma Practice

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In any case, the mind needs conscious phenomena to contemplate. Just like when we look at the whiteboard, there appears to be no changes. But, if we calmly look at the whiteboard, we would notice whether our perception is consistently clear. Or, is it sometimes clear, sometimes blurred? This is in the same location. This is the characteristic of our mind’s experience. Phenomena emerge then change. They consistently change. The calmer we are, the greater our concentration and the stronger our awareness. Changes of the emergence- cessation phenomenon become clearer and clearer. And, they are more refined than the inflate-deflate phenomenon.
There is even more refinement. There is emptiness that is different from the current emptiness. Although there appears to be emptiness, but there is still the mind that experiences the emptiness, this is called “the consciousness that experiences”, or “the substance (dhati) that experiences”, or “the mind that experiences”. The mind that acts as the experiencer is not permanent, so what do we do? We focus on the mind—it is aware that it is unburdened, and does it cease? It emerges to experience, then does it cease? We need to contemplate this. If we are not aware of the emergence-cessation of the mind that acts as the experiencer, we would go in and attach ourselves to the mind. Then there would seem to be only one mind that experiences every phenomenon.