Q&A 17 on the Contemplative Practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness

Question: After diligent practice, why does a phenomenon of reversal occur in the mind?

Answer: When one practices very diligently, karmic forces manifest. The mind becomes wholly focused on practice rather than worldly matters, acting contrary to one's former habits. The manas (the seventh consciousness) experiences significant suppression and cannot keep pace with the progress of practice. This causes mental discomfort and reluctance to practice, resulting in the phenomenon of reversal. This is the manas resisting; it does not wish to be overly diligent or deviate too drastically from its former state, nor does it wish to act too strongly against its own will. Since the conscious mind cannot suppress the manas, behaviors such as slackness, laziness, restlessness, or irritability may appear. When this occurs, one should observe one's mental state to identify the underlying cause and apply the appropriate remedy. One may mentally reiterate the principles, contemplating the suffering of the world and the importance of practice; or temporarily accommodate the manas, relaxing and not straining the nerves too tightly. Practice is like playing the zither: the strings cannot remain constantly taut. If too tight, they will snap. If body and mind cannot keep up with the pace of practice, one should relax slightly. Rather than having the strings break and taking a long time to recover, it is better to temporarily ease up. Playing the zither requires appropriate tension; only then will the music be beautiful. The Buddha addressed this issue in the sutras. Therefore, we must constantly monitor our physical and mental condition, assessing whether we can bear the strain. When it becomes unbearable, we should slow down. Diligent practice is commendable, but it must be balanced.