How to Change the Habits of the Manas

Since beginningless kalpas, the manas has been accustomed to eating and drinking, accustomed to eating at fixed times and in fixed amounts, and accustomed to delicious food. If one wants the manas to abstain from food and practice bigu (grain avoidance), changing the manas's dietary habits, one must reduce food intake little by little; one cannot cut off food all at once. One must give the manas a period of adaptation, allowing Him to be mentally prepared. Once the manas has adapted to a small amount of food, then cut off food entirely; only then will He not resist or oppose. Even if one does not eat for seven days, or half a month, or one or two months, neither body nor mind will develop problems; one may even be full of vigor and energy.

The manas's habitual tendencies are so deep, subtle, and fine that they are difficult to perceive. He clings excessively to familiar people, matters, things, and principles. Only by step by step, imperceptibly shifting His habits and lightening His habits can one imperceptibly change His habits and reduce attachment.

Using the same method, one can also practice the pratyutpanna-samādhi (the meditative absorption of standing upright), achieving ninety days without sleeping, lying down, or sitting, changing the manas's habit of sleeping and sitting, being diligent at all times in the recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), transforming body and mind, resonating with the Buddha, and thereby seeing the mind and attaining enlightenment. In practice, begin by training for one day and one night without sleeping, lying down, or sitting; then practice for three days and three nights without sleeping, lying down, or sitting. Once adapted, practice for seven days and nights, then in sequence twenty-one days and nights, forty-nine days and nights, and finally ninety days without sleeping, lying down, or sitting can be sustained. Because the mind is recollecting the Buddha with single-minded focus and no second thought, and with the Buddha's power blessing and supporting, one can persist until seeing the mind and realizing enlightenment.