Guide to the Cultivation and Realization of the Manas: Part One

Chapter Five: The Relationship Between Manas and Consciousness

I. The Cultivation Relationship Between Consciousness and Manas

For instance, a person preparing to give a speech may rehearse diligently for ten days or half a month beforehand, practicing daily to ensure a smooth delivery lasting an hour or half an hour on stage, faithfully presenting the meticulously prepared content to influence and move the audience. The preparation offstage corresponds to the cultivation of consciousness, while the formal speech on stage corresponds to the cultivation of manas. Therefore, cultivating manas is far more important than cultivating consciousness. The cultivation of manas is crucial to success or failure and serves as a marker of whether cultivation is achieved.

Because even if the preparation offstage is perfect, a poor performance on stage will garner no applause; the audience does not care about the effort expended offstage, only the performance on stage. Similarly, no matter how diligently consciousness strives, if it does not penetrate deeply into manas, there will be no result. The intended goal will not be achieved, causality will not respond favorably, and nothing will change. However, without the foundation of consciousness cultivation, it is impossible to influence manas, and thus manas cultivation cannot be discussed.

II. Whether the Functional Roles of Manas Diminish When Separated from Consciousness

We should understand that manas possesses an immense number of functional roles. In terms of its functions related to the six dusts (objects), if separated from the five aggregates body and the six consciousnesses, manas, despite having countless intentions and ingenious plans, would find it difficult to manifest or exert its functions. This is because there is no executor, no implementer, no subordinate, and no hands or feet. From this perspective, manas is a non-determined consciousness (avyākṛta-vijñāna); its wholesome or unwholesome mental activities cannot be realized, wholesome or unwholesome actions cannot be performed, wholesome or unwholesome seeds of body, speech, and mind cannot be stored, and thus wholesome or unwholesome karmic results cannot be realized. Therefore, prior to beginningless kalpas, before the material world and the five aggregates body existed, although manas possessed countless ignorance and afflictions, there were no actions arising from ignorance and afflictions; it existed together with the tathāgatagarbha in profound obscurity. Thus, when manas is separated from consciousness, its functional roles remain just as numerous; they simply cannot manifest or operate.

III. Whether Manas Is Inactive When Separated from the Discriminative Wisdom (Pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna) of Consciousness

If manas is separated from the discriminative wisdom of consciousness, it becomes inactive. This means that without the discerning function of consciousness's wisdom mental factor (jñāna-caitta), manas would be unable to do anything and would remain idle. This implies that manas cannot be separated from consciousness; if separated from consciousness, the physical body and the five aggregates would cease to function, and all phenomena would not appear. This issue is actually self-evidently false. When consciousness lacks discriminative wisdom and is in a state incapable of discernment, there are five situations: at the time of death, during unconsciousness, during dreamless sleep, upon entering the state of non-perception (asaṃjñā-samāpatti), and upon entering the state of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti). In all these situations, manas independently possesses its own functional roles; manas has never ceased operating, except in the state of nirvana without remainder (nirupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). Once manas becomes inactive, it ceases to sustain the body, the functions of the physical body and the five aggregates vanish, and the person dies.

In the absence of consciousness, such as during dreamless sleep or dreaming sleep, what is manas doing? Is it idle, not contacting objects, not discerning phenomena? Clearly not. Manas belongs to the life faculty (jīvitendriya) of sentient beings. This life faculty is particularly concerned with and attached to the physical body and all phenomena related to itself. In the absence of consciousness, manas still needs to grasp, sustain, and maintain the physical body, discern the condition of the physical body, discern all surrounding phenomena, contemplate phenomena both related and unrelated to itself, contemplate phenomena both important and unimportant, contemplate phenomena both meaningful and meaningless. Its clinging never ceases; the five universal mental factors (sarvatraga-caitta) and other mental factors continue to operate as usual; mental activities do not stop.

At all times, the tathāgatagarbha gives rise to and manifests all phenomena. Manas has the characteristic of silently encompassing all phenomena. It inevitably relies on the tathāgatagarbha to contact the phenomena secondarily manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, taking the phenomena seen by the tathāgatagarbha as seen by itself, and regarding these phenomena as its own, thereby giving rise to various mental activities and thoughts, ultimately causing dreams to appear. All thoughts and concepts in dreams belong to manas; all mental activities are also manas's. Consciousness only plays an auxiliary role for manas. Therefore, a person's true level of cultivation can be discerned from their behavior in dreams, as well as from their behavior when consciousness is unclear, such as when intoxicated.

During unconsciousness, there is no consciousness, but manas is unwilling to remain unconscious. When it detects a slight improvement in the body's condition, it struggles to wake up. This indicates that manas has mental activities during unconsciousness without consciousness; its mental factors are operating, constantly monitoring the condition of the body faculty (kāyendriya), able to discern the state of the body faculty, knowing that unconsciousness is undesirable, and seeking ways to regain consciousness. Some people, while unconscious, may even have their spirit-consciousness seek out close ones to rescue them, conveying information, telling loved ones where they are and what their situation is. Therefore, manas can represent an independent person, possessing various mental activities and mental factors, with rich internal activity. It's just that when it comes to operation, it requires the cooperation of consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses to accomplish it. In summary, manas often does not need to rely on consciousness to have its various functional roles; it only requires consciousness when specifically discerning the objects of the six dusts and handling problems.

IV. Whether Manas Can Independently Discern and Deliberate in the Absence of Consciousness

Manas has the characteristic of constant examination and deliberation (nityam abhimukhībhāvaḥ parīkṣā ca). "Constant" means often, always, perpetually, uninterruptedly. "Examination" means to investigate, to consider. "Deliberation" means to ponder, to measure, to weigh, to contemplate. Possessing this nature indicates that manas is a decision-maker, a master, having the final say over all phenomena. How does this function of manas operate? Manas operates through the five universal mental factors, the five object-specific mental factors (viṣaya-pratiniyata-caitta), and the wholesome and unwholesome mental factors.

Since manas is the master consciousness, having the final say over all phenomena, it must possess considerable judgment to make decisions and choices. How does manas judge, and what does it rely on to judge and choose? Manas relies on its own deliberative nature to judge and choose. If manas cannot deliberate independently, it would be unable to form its own judgments, unable to make choices, unable to be the master, and thus would not be the master consciousness. Manas's independent deliberation sometimes also relies on information transmitted by the six consciousnesses, relying on consciousness's thinking, analysis, logical reasoning, etc. However, no matter what, after manas receives information from the six consciousnesses, it must personally deliberate and examine it to make judgments.

Sometimes manas receives a large amount of information during the day, insufficient time for contemplation and deliberation. Then, at night, free from the disturbance of the six consciousnesses, it continuously filters and deliberates on that information. Sometimes dreams appear, enlisting consciousness to assist within the dream. If manas resolves the matter during the night and reaches a conclusion, upon waking the next morning, consciousness understands, and it may also recall the events of the dream.

It is said that the periodic table was solved in a dream; many scientific problems are solved in dreams. Often, when consciousness cannot figure something out, it stops considering it. Then, unexpectedly, at some point, understanding suddenly dawns. This is the result of manas's deliberation, resolved independently without employing consciousness. Some scientists, due to their passion for research, explore day and night, forgetting to eat and sleep. Even when asleep, they may wake up in the middle of the night to continue pondering or create dreams to contemplate. It is manas that is contemplating, deliberating, and investigating, ceaselessly day and night, ever mindful. This is manas applying effort; it is the diligence of manas.

If manas's mental factors were incomplete or insufficient, it would be fundamentally incapable of accomplishing so many things, producing so many inventions and discoveries, or investigating so many profound problems. Without complete mental factors, it would be powerless.

V. The State of Unconsciousness Approaching Wakefulness Proves Manas is the Master Consciousness

A patient with a brain injury suffered deep unconsciousness due to brainstem hemorrhage, completely immobile and without consciousness. After treatment stopped the bleeding, nerves began to twitch, but the person did not wake up, remaining unconscious. Later, the body developed a sense of touch; it could swallow liquid food fed to it, yet still did not wake up. There was faint consciousness but no ability to think or analyze. In the early and late stages of unconsciousness, without the assistance of consciousness, what roles did manas play to maintain the faint functions of the physical body?

Many say manas is like a fool, amounting to nothing. Yet in fact, it is precisely this "fool" that, with its unique functions, sustains the existence of the living being. In the absence of consciousness, the life entity composed of the physical body, manas, and the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) is still the sentient being "I." So, does this "I" primarily refer to manas or consciousness? Which is more important? No one can say: "If the six consciousnesses are gone and only manas remains, then there is no 'I'; manas is not me." So, after the six consciousnesses and consciousness cease, can what remains be considered negligible? Not counted as a person?

During unconsciousness, consciousness does not think, "I should move my eyeballs, twitch my lips, or make nerves twitch." Even if consciousness is present, it is extremely faint, lacking any thinking function, unable to discern phenomena. It is manas's powerful functional role that desires the physical body to have awareness, attempts to move, and swallows saliva or liquid food. Therefore, what mental factors manas possesses is not difficult to discern. Do not say manas is nothing, has no functions, no thoughts, no ideas. If manas had no thoughts, could an unconscious person regain consciousness? Could they struggle to make the physical body move?

A person with tenacious vitality, able to adapt to all living environments, able to enjoy the world of the five aggregates, should not only thank the tathāgatagarbha but also thank manas for its unyielding attachment or perseverance. All this is primarily enjoyed by consciousness, so it should be consciousness that thanks the tathāgatagarbha and manas for enabling it to have the nature of perception, hearing, and awareness, allowing it to enjoy the world of the five aggregates.

Conversely, manas should also thank consciousness. With consciousness as its assistant handling tasks, discerning the objects of the six dusts, manas thereby possesses all phenomena of the world. Therefore, during unconsciousness, manas becomes anxious, striving by all means to make consciousness wake up, to have sound functioning of the five aggregates. This proves that all phenomena serve manas; manas regards all phenomena as "I" and "mine." Some say manas is inactive when separated from consciousness, but what does manas do in the absence of consciousness? Without transforming consciousness into wisdom (jñāna), no one can observe it.

VI. Within the Aggregate of Mental Formations (Saṃskāra), It Is Still Manas That Truly Masters

How do we move daily from east to west, south to north? How do we relocate the physical body to any place? All this is driven by the attention (manaskāra) of manas, driven by manas's thoughts, concepts, and purposes. Manas's thoughts are also influenced and guided by consciousness's thoughts, ideas, and concepts. Some might say, "Clearly, it's my consciousness that decides what to do; how can it be manas making the decisions?" Superficially, it seems consciousness does whatever it wants, but in reality, consciousness's intentions must be approved and accepted by manas. Only then does manas make the master decision, after which consciousness's intentions and purposes are manifested.

For example, when driving, every instant is decided by manas—how to drive, where to go. Within this, manas is also guided instant by instant by consciousness's thinking, analysis, planning, and judgment. After consciousness provides guidance, if it does not align with manas's thoughts, manas may not follow consciousness's guidance. Only when manas deems consciousness's idea reasonable will it accept consciousness's guidance.

In this process, consciousness's mental activities are relatively obvious, while manas's mental activities are more concealed. Therefore, those with insufficient wisdom cannot observe manas's mental activities; they can only roughly observe consciousness's mental activities. Thus, the cognitive views and opinions formed when wisdom is insufficient cannot be relied upon as absolute truth. One should not consider one's own views absolutely correct.

VII. Why Does Manas Engage in Remembrance and Longing?

Why does manas engage in remembrance and longing? Is it not because manas remembers certain things? It longs for things it particularly cares about; it contemplates things it deems important and wishes to resolve further. All phenomena arise dependent on manas's remembrance (smṛti); only when manas remembers can the eighth consciousness cooperate to produce the phenomena manas remembers. If manas does not remember, the eighth consciousness pays no heed, the six consciousnesses do not arise, and thus no problems can be solved. The phenomena remembered, thought of, contemplated, and discerned by consciousness are all elicited by manas's remembrance. Without manas's remembrance, consciousness cannot arise, let alone other mental activities.

Sometimes, after consciousness arises, it may remember certain phenomena. However, if these remembrances and thoughts are not infused into manas, and manas does not remember them, then the phenomena remembered by consciousness will not be actualized. For example, when memorizing Buddhist scriptures, consciousness may recite them fluently, but if manas does not take them to heart, consciousness cannot recall them. Recalling them is recollection; if manas does not remember them, consciousness cannot recall them. Consciousness's recollection is guided by manas. If manas cannot guide the content of the scriptures, consciousness cannot recite them. If manas is uninterested in reciting scriptures, consciousness will recite for a while and then be unable to continue, its mind becoming restless. Manas is more flexible and dynamic than the five sense consciousnesses and far more so than consciousness itself. It is the driving force for the manifestation of all phenomena. Therefore, its functional roles must far exceed those of the five sense consciousnesses and consciousness to accomplish this.

VIII. When Consciousness Has Strong Persuasive Power, It Can Transform Manas

When the right view (samyag-dṛṣṭi) of consciousness takes effect, it is because consciousness possesses strong persuasive power, subduing manas. It is also because manas lacks sufficient right view and needs the right view to guide its decisions. Consciousness and manas are like two people. Observing the interaction between two people reveals the respective natures and functions of consciousness and manas. When manas genuinely needs advice, offering appropriate suggestions for reference will be readily accepted. When manas is very stubborn, consciousness may say things it is unwilling to hear, let alone accept, and consciousness will not rigidly insist on its own views. Of course, transforming the stubbornness of manas still depends on consciousness repeatedly emphasizing and instilling the right view. Initially, manas will certainly be unwilling to listen and unaccepting. Over time, it becomes less stubborn, and only then can further persuasion transform it.

IX. The Relationship Between Manas and Consciousness is Like That Between Eyes and Eyeglasses

The relationship between manas and consciousness is like that between eyes and eyeglasses. When the eyes cannot clearly see certain things, they need eyeglasses to assist in discernment. The content discerned by the eyeglasses is then taken by the eyes as discerned by themselves. For things that are relatively coarse and easy to distinguish, the eyes can discern them on their own without wearing glasses, without the help of eyeglasses. This corresponds to consciousness not needing to arise. There are indeed many instances where eyes discern alone without the aid of eyeglasses. Manas can independently discern a great many phenomena; consciousness is unaware of this portion of content, but its unawareness does not mean manas did not discern those phenomena. Therefore, regarding all phenomena, manas has absolute initiative and control. All phenomena must serve manas, be used by manas, including consciousness.

If the eyes have dirt, can cleaning only the eyeglasses ensure the eyes clearly discern things? Manas has had ignorance since beginningless time; because of ignorance, it possesses various wrong views. If only consciousness is made to sever the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and realize the mind's nature (cittatā), if only the ignorance of consciousness is removed, can it ensure the false master of all phenomena has a pure mind? Can it ensure the master treats all phenomena with wisdom?

When vision is unclear, should one treat the eyes or repair the eyeglasses? Many people studying Buddhism remain only at the stage of repairing the eyeglasses, unwilling or unable to proceed further to treat the eyes. After cleaning the eyeglasses, one must also clean the eyes; otherwise, vision will still be unclear. After consciousness becomes clear, manas must also be made clear; otherwise, it remains ignorant.

Since the relationship between manas and consciousness is as described, the mental activities and nature of sentient beings primarily refer to the mental activities and nature of manas. The ignorance of manas, the clarity of manas, and the mental factors of manas are extremely important. If the mental factors of manas are free from ignorance and are all clear, then no further cultivation is needed; consciousness also has no influence on manas. The old ox has returned home; the shepherd boy can rest, his task completed.

X. Only With Vast Wisdom Can One Know That All Consciousnesses Are Interdependent

"I must make good use of manas." When consciousness says this, manas has already made this decision, causing consciousness to express it so resolutely. Consciousness wants to utilize manas; does manas know consciousness wants to utilize it? Since beginningless time, we have always been utilizing manas, and manas has also been utilizing the tathāgatagarbha and consciousness; it's just that neither is aware of it. If they were aware, that wisdom would be extraordinary.

XI. Manas, When Startled, Becomes Speechless and Stunned

What is being so shocked one cannot speak? What is being scared speechless and stunned? What is being so angry one is rendered speechless?

When manas experiences a strong shock, excessive agitation, or intense reaction, it becomes immersed in the situation, having no time or mood to direct consciousness to speak or express itself. It feels language is feeble or doesn't know what to say; consciousness temporarily rests for a while, as manas cannot attend to it. When manas is startled, it cannot attend to the five sense faculties and the six consciousnesses: eyes cannot see, ears cannot hear, nose cannot smell, tongue cannot taste, body cannot touch, consciousness cannot think, mouth cannot speak. It becomes dazed and stunned, digesting the shock, unable to react.

When consciousness is startled but manas is not, the behavior is almost normal. Manas can still regulate the five sense faculties and six consciousnesses to do what they should do, not appearing dazed or stunned. When manas is angry, its mind is immersed in the event, focused solely on anger, lacking the energy or mood to regulate consciousness to express anything. When consciousness is angry but manas is not, manas regulates the five sense faculties and six consciousnesses to continue doing what they should, unaffected.

XII. Manas Directs the Thinking Activities of Consciousness

Whenever the eighth consciousness manifests phenomena, manas necessarily relies on the eighth consciousness to contact and discern them. If manas itself has no problem but the brain has a problem, manas cannot normally direct the body's movements through the brain's nervous system, and consciousness is also affected. Only after the brain returns to normal can consciousness think normally. In future lives, only when the brain is normal can manas's direction and control be normal, and conscious thinking activities can also be normal.

XIII. Consciousness Arises When Manas Contacts Internal Mental Objects

The eleven types of form (rūpa)—the five sense faculties, the five sense objects, and the form included in the mental base (dharmāyatana-rūpa, i.e., mental objects)—must arise prior to the six consciousnesses; otherwise, the six consciousnesses cannot appear. After the six consciousnesses arise, they can propel the appearance of the realm of mere images (pratibimba-ālambana). The realm of mere images is also conjured by manas's deluded thoughts for consciousness to discern, and it further drives the manifestation and transformation of the illusory realm of mere images. When faculties and objects contact, the subsequent consciousness arises. Consciousness cannot arise before the appearance of the internal mental object (adhyātma-dharma). When manas contacts external mental objects, consciousness does not arise; there is no birth of consciousness.

Obscured by ignorance, when manas discerns all phenomena, it does not know their essence, does not know their true nature, cannot dispel ignorance to give rise to wisdom. This causes the functions of the six consciousnesses to be obstructed and limited. When consciousness studies the Buddha Dharma and continuously infuses manas, after manas comprehends the principles, it will realize that the worldly phenomena of the five aggregates are all impermanent, changing, unreal, empty, and without self. Further, it will realize that the essence of the five aggregates body and all phenomena is the tathāgatagarbha.

XIV. Why Must Paired Organs Coordinate to Perform Actions?

When both hands need to move together, they must be coordinated, their actions identical, to accomplish the task; otherwise, it is difficult. The same applies to both eyes, both ears, both nostrils, both feet, and both legs: their actions must be coordinated and consistent, their goals identical or similar, to be easily accomplished; otherwise, inconsistent actions are difficult to perform. Why is this? The actions of both hands are directed by instructions from the brain, which is controlled by manas. When manas intends to use the hands to do something, it issues instructions, and both hands must act simultaneously and coordinately. If manas wants the left and right hands to perform two different actions simultaneously, the instructions transmitted by the brain must be divided into two parts, consciousness and body consciousness must split their focus, and the nervous system must work harder to cooperate, unless specialized training has been undergone over time.

However, no matter how much training is done, both eyes cannot attend to separate objects, perform separate attention, or discern separately; it is very difficult to separate them. Both nostrils are also difficult to separate—one inhaling while the other exhales; perhaps possible with specialized training. Both ears are relatively easier to move separately. Both feet and both legs moving separately and uncoordinatedly is also quite difficult. The difficulty arises because they belong to one faculty, one nervous system, one brain instruction. The ease or difficulty depends on whether manas's attention and energy are sufficient and abundant, and also on whether the energy of the six consciousnesses is sufficient.

Separating the functional roles of manas and consciousness allows for a better and clearer understanding of their respective natures. When mixed together, the nature of neither consciousness can be clearly understood. After separating the functional roles of manas and consciousness, observing manas alone allows one to know what characteristics manas possesses, what afflictions, what habits, what mental factors it has. There is no need to chew over others' words; one gains the ability to observe the true situation oneself.

XV. Consciousness Can Influence Manas's Decisions

Purified great elements (mahābhūta) have the meaning of generation; they can generate material form. Material form is generated by the tathāgatagarbha, arising dependent on the karmic conditions of sentient beings, subject to birth, cessation, and change. Specifically, it is the result of the combined operation of the three transforming consciousnesses (trayaḥ pariṇāmavijñānāni). It is not entirely determined by the karmic seeds within the tathāgatagarbha; there are also acquired factors, and acquired factors cannot be separated from manas and consciousness. For example, if consciousness experiences life in the world as constantly unsatisfactory, it may feel the world utterly boring. Manas, knowing this, may develop thoughts of not wanting to live and thus possibly seek ways to commit suicide. If consciousness does not care about the physical body, manas may decide not to provide it with enhanced nutrition, causing the physical body to become weak. The thoughts of manas and consciousness can direct everything, change everything. If our mental power is strong, it can also change external things.

XVI. How to Correctly and Reasonably Guide Manas

Consciousness studying the teachings on suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self in the world of the five aggregates, when contemplating them, will infuse and guide manas to cease clinging to these impermanent phenomena subject to birth and cessation. When studying various Dharma principles, one should always contemplate and infuse manas. Once manas comprehends the Dharma principles, it will gradually reduce its clinging and attachment. Consciousness frequently engaging in correct, principle-conforming, and Dharma-conforming contemplation and observation is an effective way to guide manas.

XVII. Conditions Required for Realizing the Mind (明心) and Awakening (开悟)

The primary point for realizing the mind (明心) is that the sixth and seventh consciousnesses should be in a normal state, relatively serene, inwardly peaceful, possessing concentration (samādhi), endowed with profound wisdom for contemplation and observation, and relatively familiar with the issues of the five aggregates body. Only after severing the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) or being close to severing it, does one have the opportunity to realize the mind.

The vast majority of people, in a normal state, cannot have clear thinking, cannot sever the view of self, and cannot realize the mind. Then, in extremely abnormal states, it is even more impossible to have clear thinking, sever the view of self, or realize the mind. For example, in states of stupor, dreamless sleep and dreaming sleep, the intermediate state (antarābhava), the state after death before the intermediate state arises, extreme anger, extreme weakness, hardship and suffering, mental confusion, madness, mental derangement, etc.—consciousness cannot engage in normal thinking; how could awakening occur?

Why cannot one realize the mind and awaken during stupor? Because there is no consciousness, no thinking; manas is panicked; without contemplation, awakening is impossible. Why cannot one realize the mind and awaken during dreamless sleep? Because there is no consciousness to guide manas in Chan (Zen) contemplation; therefore, awakening is impossible. If manas is infused to a very mature degree, after falling asleep, it might contemplate independently and possibly attain realization. However, it must wait until awakening, alerting consciousness, and consciousness also becomes clear—only then is it awakening. Why cannot one realize the mind and awaken during dreaming sleep when consciousness is present? Because consciousness cannot think clearly and cannot guide manas in contemplation; therefore, awakening is impossible. Unless manas is infused to maturity and can contemplate even in dreams, such special cases are extremely rare, not universal.

After death, before the intermediate state arises, why cannot one realize the mind and awaken? Because there is no consciousness to think and guide; manas is panicked; without contemplation, awakening is impossible. In the intermediate state, why cannot one realize the mind and awaken? Because ordinary beings with karmic obstacles are in extreme panic in the intermediate state, unaware of the future, lacking a calm mind for contemplation, lacking meditative concentration (dhyāna), and unable to contemplate single-mindedly; therefore, awakening is impossible. Can one awaken in the intermediate state nirvana (antarā-parinirvāyin)? Intermediate state nirvana is the nirvana attained by third-stage practitioners (anāgāmin). Third-stage practitioners possess concentration at least at the first dhyāna level; generally, they have concentration at the fourth dhyāna level or above to attain intermediate state nirvana. Third-stage practitioners who have not generated the mind for Buddhahood (bodhicitta) cannot engage in Chan contemplation. If they can engage in Chan contemplation before entering intermediate state nirvana, they realize the mind and awaken. In the nirvana without remainder (nirupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), can one realize the mind and awaken? In nirvana without remainder, there are no sixth or seventh consciousnesses; without a contemplator, there is no awakener. Therefore, awakening is impossible; the eighth consciousness cannot substitute for the sixth and seventh consciousnesses to awaken.

For the vast majority of sentient beings, if a minor incident occurs at home, their minds become unsettled, unable to study Buddhism or practice normally, let alone contemplate the Buddha Dharma or engage in Chan contemplation? How much more so in the intermediate state, before the intermediate state arises, or in dreams or while awake? With a minor incident, one's hands tremble while typing; how could they realize the mind? If someone comes to scold them, they immediately cannot bear it and scold back; how could they realize the mind? Those who usually create much unwholesome karma, with heavy afflictions, are entirely people without meditative concentration; their minds are impure, easily agitated, and they lack concentration even more during special periods, unable to contemplate the Buddha Dharma, let alone engage in Chan contemplation. Therefore, during special periods, realizing the mind and awakening is impossible.

If one possesses the fourth dhyāna concentration, can one realize the mind in the intermediate state? If a person possesses the fourth dhyāna while alive, they can realize the mind upon exiting concentration because this person is usually not in the fourth dhyāna, yet their concentration is quite good. In the intermediate state, their concentration is also quite good; the intermediate state does not affect them; therefore, they can awaken. The benefit of the four dhyānas and eight samāpattis is that they enable one to have concentration at all times, handle all human affairs calmly, comprehensively, steadily, and with clear thinking.