Single-Pointed Focus Reveals Truth and Reality

Many psychologists and other members of society do not believe in or practice Buddhism, yet they can clearly distinguish between consciousness and the subconscious. We who study Buddhism and Yogācāra, however, cannot distinguish between the two—it is truly embarrassing and shameful to admit. As for Yogācāra scholars and experts, if their observational and deliberative wisdom is inferior to that of a psychologist who possesses neither meditative concentration (samādhi) nor the prajñā wisdom of Yogācāra, then what kind of Yogācāra expert or scholar can they even be considered? I do not know why such a situation has arisen.

A: This is how I understand it: some scholars, artists, and scientific researchers, through constant investigation, think about their work day and night, and as a result their power of concentration is strong and they often enter a state of meditative absorption (samādhi) without realizing it, which is why they are able to observe subtle details.

B: Right, they have meditative concentration, but it was not cultivated deliberately; rather, it comes from an immense passion and interest. Because they are not attached to the rules and frameworks of religion, nor to religious disputes over right and wrong. I have seen many religious practitioners who, on the contrary, constrain themselves and live in a world of concepts and thought. These scholars have enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility for their research and inquiry, and so they can focus single-mindedly, uninterested in anything else, and thereby discover truth and facts.