Why is it that we cannot enter samadhi when meditating, and why is our concentration so shallow? It is because the manas (intellect) refuses to rest and ceaselessly clings to objects. The mind clings to all manner of thoughts and cannot let go. This is ignorance (avidya). The mind mistakenly believes there truly exists an external world, truly existing people and phenomena, and thus it cannot free itself. Consequently, during meditation, the manas constantly seeks objects to grasp, creating various mental events. The conscious mind (mano-vijnana) then has to process and discern these events, preventing the mind from settling into stability, hindering concentration, and making it impossible to extinguish deluded thoughts. Without ignorance, the manas would not cling or grasp, nor would it create mental objects (dharmas). The conscious mind would then have nothing to process, and the mind would easily settle into concentration.
All people and phenomena perceived within samadhi are also projections created by the clinging of the manas; they too are illusory. By not clinging to these people and phenomena, those states and realms will gradually fade away, and the samadhi will deepen. Remember the phrase the World-Honored One (Bhagavan) once told us: "All phenomena are illusory." Constantly remind yourself of this, and you will reduce clinging. As ignorance diminishes, concentration becomes easier to cultivate.
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