The Ultimate Honing of Manas

The saying goes: "Sharpen your mind, not your teeth." What is the connotation of this phrase? What do the mind and teeth respectively represent? What is the relationship between the two?

When worldly people speak, they move their teeth, and language is produced. Language is a function of the conscious mind—superficial and frivolous, not necessarily wise. The brain, however, is where thinking gives birth to wisdom, representing a person's true intelligence: profound and insightful wisdom resides in the manas (mental faculty). Commanding body, speech, and mind like a commander-in-chief, when the commander-in-chief acts, the entire army—including the teeth—follows orders. Therefore, one should cultivate wisdom in this commander-in-chief, the manas, sharpening the mind. Do not expend energy on the teeth, mere laborers; relying on mere talk is powerless and solves nothing.

Sharpening the manas is fundamental. When the foundation is thoroughly honed, all dharmas (phenomena or teachings) will be perfected. Merely using speech or language to confront issues cannot resolve the fundamental problem; without sharpening the manas, the solution remains incomplete. Thus, possessing a wise mind is far superior to possessing sharp teeth or abundant, glib talk. After all, the mind truly represents oneself; teeth and language do not represent one's genuine wisdom. Those without a developed mind create evil karma the moment they speak, yet remain unaware of it. Even when retribution occurs, they do not know why and lack the means to counteract or achieve deliverance.