Only with Samadhi Can Manas Be Profoundly Touched

When meditative concentration is insufficient, reading an article is like skimming through it hastily. When meditative concentration is sufficient, the depth of understanding within the mind becomes extraordinary, powerful enough to shock the heart and internal organs, creating an exceptionally unusual sensation. Some people skim through an article hastily without careful contemplation and rashly reject it, only to realize in the end that they themselves were mistaken. Where did they go wrong? Lacking meditative concentration, they cannot engage in contemplative practice; their minds are too superficial. Even with guidance, they still cannot engage in contemplative practice, making it impossible for their wisdom to gradually improve or increase day by day. Those with insufficient virtuous roots from past lives will not be startled by any Dharma teaching they encounter; it passes by them plainly and uneventfully, as if they truly understood it.

With meditative concentration, contemplation becomes meticulous, enabling one to be profoundly touched. This is called being deeply moved. Consider how rich the connotations of our ancient Chinese culture are, how precise the choice of words—able to describe states of body and mind with utter clarity and thoroughness. All of this has a certain scientific basis, a physiological foundation. The Buddha Dharma is not isolated; it depends on whether the public possesses the wisdom to perceive it as it truly is. The depth of being profoundly moved refers to a depth that reaches the innermost level of the mind (manas), not superficial, surface-level conscious thought—only then can one experience genuine feeling. Ordinary contemplation yields no feeling, evokes no emotion, and certainly not a multitude of profound emotions.