Levels of Perfuming Theory

Learning and cultivation 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. The learning of any kind of theoretical knowledge begins with the mind consciousness first; at the initial stage it has not yet reached the manas. While the mind consciousness is learning, it is simultaneously perfuming the manas. Once the perfuming succeeds, the theoretical knowledge is mastered and becomes 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 not be forgotten, nor does it need to be deliberately memorized and held onto; it is available whenever used. 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).