The Pain Points of Buddhist Practitioners

The Buddha said to Ānanda: 汝虽忆持十方如来十二部经清净妙理，如恒河沙，只益戏论，积劫闻熏，不能免离摩登伽难。历劫忆持如来秘密妙严，不如一日修无漏业。

This passage from the Śūraṅgama Sūtra precisely points out the pain point in practitioners' cultivation: merely remaining at the level of the mind consciousness's extensive hearing and study, without truly cultivating in accordance with the Dharma. If the manas is not cultivated, then no matter how much the mind consciousness cultivates, there can be no liberation. The phenomena of the Dharma-ending age are far more severe than this; the most prominent special case is taking the mind consciousness's hearing and immersion as being actual realization—a tremendous misunderstanding—and yet not knowing to reflect upon oneself. When death arrives, regret will come too late.