The Conscious Experiences After the Perfuming of Manas

Q: When contemplating that the physical body is suffering, empty, impermanent, and without self, and reflecting on oneself and others—birth, aging, sickness, death, eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating—all beyond one's control, ordinary thoughts during walking are not profound. Yet when contemplating quietly, joyful sensations arise in body and mind, as if entering a new realm, where body and mind have reached another state. I very much enjoy this feeling. Is this sensation a result of the manas being slightly influenced?

A: This is the joy factor within the seven factors of enlightenment. It is indeed a positive phenomenon during the process of being influenced by the Buddha Dharma. The joy factor arises precisely because the manas is being influenced; it is this joy that enables sustained long-term practice. Following this, the tranquility factor will appear. Joy arising from the innermost heart all stems from the influence on the manas, manifesting in the physical body and the conscious mind. It is due to the influence on the manas that various changes occur in body and mind, including sensations of suffering and happiness, as well as sensations that are neither suffering nor happiness. Because the manas acquires new understanding and shifts in thought and perspective, it drives transformation in body and mind. By consistently contemplating and observing the selflessness of the five aggregates and other Buddhist principles, changes in the manas, body, and mind will grow increasingly significant and numerous. Ultimately, through quantitative change leading to qualitative transformation, one undergoes a complete rebirth—like a carp leaping through the dragon's gate—transforming from an ordinary being into a sage.