How to Train the Manas to Think and Solve Problems

When encountering problems, do not rush to immediately use the conscious mind to deliberate, analyze, and draw conclusions. If the matter is not particularly urgent, calm the mind, strive to eliminate distracting thoughts, focus solely on the current matter without conscious analysis, without conscious reasoning, without conscious judgment, and certainly without conscious conclusions. Empty other thoughts, fixate on this issue, avoid inner language or words, avoid inner voices, and silently gaze upon this problem. Yet the mind is not empty, nor is it failing to consider the issue; rather, the manas (mind-root) quietly suspends the problem within, silently contemplating it.

While the conscious mind refrains from deliberation and analysis, the manas faces this problem, thinking and pondering without language, words, or sound. When lacking experience or when the mind is not subtle, one may not perceive the mental activities of the manas, yet it indeed possesses immense mental activity, merely obscured by the activities of consciousness. Some individuals have very weak manas energy and feeble thinking power because there are too many scattered, fragmented thoughts dispersing the energy, resulting in insufficient mental strength to concentrate on contemplating a single problem or to perfectly, reasonably, and profoundly resolve an issue.

One significant reason why sentient beings possess inferior and weak wisdom is the abundance of distracting thoughts, leaving the mind in a chaotic mess without a clear main thread or focus. It is like a combat team where members act independently, scattering the team's strength, unable to coalesce into a powerful force to bravely and successfully resist opposing forces, ultimately leading to defeat against each adversary. Another crucial reason is the lack of blessedness (福薄, fu bo), a severe deficiency in merit, lacking the support of virtuous karma. This point will not be discussed further here.

Therefore, to enhance wisdom, especially the wisdom of the manas, one must eliminate distracting thoughts and develop the ability to concentrate the mind, focusing on very few, important, and critical issues. To achieve this, one must suppress consciousness, use it sparingly, and minimize the use of conscious language, words, and sound. Avoid constant inner voices and inner monologues. While occasional inner conscious monologue is acceptable, beyond that, there should also be the focused contemplation of the manas. Consciousness may monologue while the manas contemplates simultaneously, both focused on the same matter. At this point, the energy of the manas increases, the power becomes concentrated, and it can break through the inner darkness and ignorance, find the root of the problem, and resolve it fundamentally.

When the manas contemplates clearly, it can solve problems fundamentally. Problems understood through conscious deliberation, even if resolved, are often incomplete, unstable, and unreliable, and moreover, difficult to solve in the first place. This is because the manas is the dominant consciousness (作主识). Problems it has considered clearly, once resolved, do not lead to regret. However, following the analysis of consciousness easily leads to regret and changes of heart and mind. Fickle individuals are those accustomed to using conscious thought, not the manas; they are relatively superficial. People without firm opinions, who like to depend on others, are unaccustomed to using the manas to think; they rely on consciousness instead. Because their own consciousness is unreliable, they have no choice but to depend on others.

While thinking and solving problems with the manas is stable, reliable, thorough, ultimate, and can directly reach the root, it is often slower. Deep thought tends to be slow, while shallow thought is fast. It is like digging a well: digging deep requires effort and is slow, while digging shallowly requires little effort and is fast. However, digging slowly yields water, while digging fast does not produce water. Therefore, slowness is speed, and speed is slowness; the effects differ. Hence, one should not seek speed; quality is paramount. Our approach to thinking and solving problems is the same: deep contemplation and decision-making require time, but meticulous work yields perfect results. A person accustomed to deep thought, accustomed to using the manas, generally thinks and acts more slowly, but relatively speaking, the effect is better, less prone to error, and less prone to regret.

To achieve good results in doing things and solving problems, do not seek speed. Be thoughtful and deliberate, use the manas more for thinking and decision-making, train the thinking power of the manas more, and practice concentration and observation without language, words, or sound. After prolonged training, when the manas is used skillfully, one will discover that thinking with the manas is very meaningful and interesting, highly attractive. The more one thinks this way, the less one wants to stop. Consequently, one develops a preference for solitude, dislikes disturbance, and wisdom grows increasingly profound. Solving problems becomes more and more effortless. When a person's manas is well-trained and habitually used, that person appears very profound, possesses depth and unique qualities, has profound thoughts, unique insights, strong abilities, and, crucially, is steady, reliable, trustworthy, and not prone to constantly changing their mind.