Self-Suggestion Analogous to Hypnosis

When practicing Buddhist meditation through self-suggestion, consciousness often suggests to the manas that the five aggregates are illusory and all phenomena are illusory, being merely the functional manifestations of the Tathāgatagarbha. After a period of time, the manas will come to recognize this, enabling one to sever the view of self, thereby unleashing one's potential and transforming oneself. This suggestion resembles self-hypnosis, adjusting oneself to a relatively quiet and serene state where one can hear the inner voice—at this point, self-suggestion becomes possible.

Take the content concerning severing the view of self mentioned above and recite it slowly with cadence, guiding the manas to accept it. Allow the manas sufficient time to process the information, organize its thoughts, and contemplate the Dharma principles within the information. This requires a certain amount of time and a specific environmental setting—namely, enabling the manas to disregard other concerns and focus solely on the guided content. The mind must be tranquil, peaceful, and serene, fully receptive to the guidance of consciousness. Wherever consciousness can guide, the manas will contemplate accordingly. At this stage, the manas becomes relatively compliant, having been preliminarily influenced, though not yet fully transformed. The key lies in whether consciousness can observe the reactions of the manas, whether it possesses guiding experience, and whether it truly comprehends the principle of non-self. Such guided hypnosis can be repeated multiple times in suitable temporal and situational contexts. As long as consciousness is theoretically proficient, capable of observing and guiding the manas, and able to maintain a steady and serene state, one will surely be able to sever the view of self after a certain period.