Levels of Theoretical Permeation

Learning and practice occur at two levels: initially at the shallow level of the mind consciousness, and only at the end can one reach the deep level of the manas. In learning any kind of theoretical knowledge, it is always the mind consciousness that begins to learn first; initially it cannot yet reach the manas. While the mind consciousness is learning, it is simultaneously perfuming the manas; once the perfuming succeeds, the theoretical knowledge is grasped and mastered, becoming one's own genuine insight, turning into one's own learning and skill, which can be brought into play anytime and anywhere without obstruction, and will not be forgotten. Only knowledge grasped by the mind consciousness can be forgotten, because it is learned from others—it is someone else's thing, not one's own. What belongs to oneself will never be forgotten, nor does it require deliberate effort to remember and hold onto; it is available whenever needed. This is called the outflow from one's own mind, not a parrot mimicking speech. In the cultivation and realization of the Buddha-dharma, some also call it the outflow of self-nature (svabhāva).