Observing the Thoughts of Consciousness and Manas in Meditative Concentration

Question: Shortly after sitting down, I first feel my body gradually becoming still, my breath becoming very faint, and simultaneously notice thoughts continuously arising. However, my awareness does not follow these thoughts away. At times, it feels like dreaming; each thought seems accompanied by vague images—or rather, shadows—that flicker by with the arising and ceasing of thoughts, akin to sleeping while being lucid. Is this state considered entering samādhi? Should I further concentrate my attention on a single point to reduce thoughts?

Answer: This situation reflects a state with samādhi. Only when the mind settles can one notice one’s own thoughts and, supported by the power of samādhi, avoid being carried away by them. Only with the support of samādhi can one carefully observe thoughts, perceiving them as dream-like and insubstantial, like illusory shadows. After maintaining this state for a period, thoughts will gradually diminish. Whether one can control thoughts or not, as samādhi deepens, thoughts will progressively decrease and may even vanish entirely. When samādhi is relatively stable, one can deeply and meticulously contemplate the meaning of the Dharma, investigate its principles, clarify the structure of the Buddhist teachings one has learned, and then focus one’s mind for key breakthroughs. 

Within samādhi, who discovers these thoughts? Who discovers whose thoughts? This discovery is the discovery of consciousness (vijñāna). It discovers thoughts arising one after another from the mental faculty (manas), progressing from vague to clear. This indicates that samādhi enables consciousness to discover previously unnoticed thoughts and observe them with increasing clarity. This is the function produced by the power of samādhi. If consciousness follows the thoughts of manas, and consciousness discovers this, it is called the introspective awareness of consciousness—the svasaṃvedana (self-cognizing aspect). Discovering the thoughts of manas is the function of the svasamvitti (self-awareness aspect). 

Consciousness no longer being carried away by thoughts demonstrates that consciousness and manas can be separated; they mutually restrain, mutually influence, and mutually condition each other. At deeper levels, when the mind becomes more refined and wise, one can discern which mental consciousness is afflicted and defiled, which is relatively pure, or whether all are defiled or all are somewhat pure. Furthermore, one can perceive who restrains whom, who influences whom, and who conditions whom. Originally, manas was more heavily defiled and could pull consciousness along. Now, with enhanced power of samādhi, consciousness, having awakened, no longer follows manas. What happens next? Continue cultivating samādhi, and the thoughts of manas will become increasingly scarce. The mind will grow purer, and defilements will become increasingly subtle. At this stage, contemplating issues will be profoundly meticulous, with clear logic and structure, leading to the enhancement of wisdom.

When manas grasps at objects, it pulls consciousness along, causing the thoughts of consciousness to continuously grasp without cease. The manifestation of manas grasping is the unceasing flow of thoughts and mental agitation. While many acknowledge that manas grasps, they may object to the idea that manas has thoughts, because many fundamentally do not understand the meaning of grasping. They merely memorize texts without relying on the Dharma, claiming that manas lacks the mental factor of memory (smṛti-caitta). Yet, in reality, if manas lacked the mental factor of memory, the mind would not be disturbed; neither good nor bad phenomena could arise. In the mundane world, this would resemble being like a fool; in spiritual practice, it would indicate that the mind is already very pure, with deep samādhi. Only through actual observation and examination of one's own body, mind, and world does wisdom arise, enabling one to know how things truly are—possessing yathābhūta-jñāna (knowledge of reality as it is), knowing things as they truly are. Memorizing texts is relying on others, not on the Dharma. The Dharma requires one's own true observation; through observation, wisdom arises, and one attains realization of the Dharma.