How to Discern Realization and Non-Realization

Question: When one touches an electric current and feels numbness and trembling, does this constitute realization of the electric current? If a blind person touches a light bulb with their hand, do they realize the bulb but not the light?

Answer: Whether realization occurs depends on the specific circumstances and varies from person to person. For example, when a scientist receives an electric shock, they understand the principle of electricity with complete certainty; their realization is profound, equivalent to the Yogacara wisdom in Buddhism. When a child receives an electric shock, they may not necessarily understand why this phenomenon occurs. Even if they know they were shocked and will avoid it next time, they might not comprehend the principle of electricity or its function. When a blind person touches a light bulb with their hand, they may not necessarily know it is a light bulb. First, they must possess the relevant concept of a light bulb—either having seen a bulb before losing their sight or having been told what a light bulb looks like by others. Otherwise, no matter how many times they touch the bulb, they will not know what it is. Sentient beings have interacted with the Buddha-nature treasury since beginningless kalpas, live within it, and constantly use it, yet they neither know of its existence nor understand its true nature.

The Sixth Patriarch attained enlightenment upon hearing a single sentence, while others hearing a hundred explanations of that same sentence remain far from enlightenment. The key lies within the individual; the capacity for wisdom is crucial. An Arhat hearing a single phrase spoken by an ordinary person studying Buddhism may attain the fourth fruition stage, whereas an ordinary person studying the Agama Sutras for a hundred years may not even reach the initial fruition stage. There is no comparison between individuals.