The Reasoning of Consciousness Is Not Equivalent to Contemplative Observation and Profound Inquiry

When practicing concentration through mindfulness of breathing, consciousness merely observes the act of breathing, knowing the incoming and outgoing breath, knowing whether the breath is long or short, without adding any mental notion about the source of this knowing. Do not concern yourself with what this knowing ultimately results in; that is a matter for the future. Since the result has not yet manifested now, do not speculate. The reasoning of consciousness is merely its own wishful thinking, and wishful thinking can never resolve problems. Only when consciousness and the mental faculty reach a mutual agreement can matters be perfectly resolved, and only then will the final result appear as it truly is. That is what is called realization.

The reasoning of consciousness is not without merit, but it is merely a road sign. Whether one actually proceeds and how one proceeds still depend on the choice of the mental faculty. If the mental faculty does not make a choice, no amount of direction from consciousness is useful. Sometimes, when consciousness refrains from reasoning, problems can still be smoothly resolved; reasoning may instead cause delays. If the direction is correct, proceeding without reasoning might be faster and more stable. Using consciousness excessively is not beneficial; the more consciousness is used, the more incompetent the mental faculty becomes. If the mental faculty is incompetent, it means the entire person is incompetent. If the operating and commanding system is flawed, how can anything be operated?

Spiritual practice is something fools do; those who are too clever will not work diligently and earnestly. Let consciousness point out the general direction, then close your eyes and rest, covertly supervising without excessive interference. Once the mental faculty, relying on its own ability, moves forward and reaches the destination, its capability is truly formidable. If it is dragged along by consciousness, the mental faculty becomes feeble and incompetent, incapable of accomplishing any significant task.

The reasoning of consciousness is essentially delusion. Delusion means not seeing; once seen, it is no longer called delusion. Some people, through the delusion of consciousness, fabricate an eighth consciousness that functions in a certain way in some place, then define this as "enlightenment through mind-realization," claiming there is no need to sever afflictions or cultivate meditative concentration—at most, just a few minutes or ten minutes of settled mind is enough to realize the path. The consequences of such an approach should be clear to everyone. If this counts as enlightenment, then dreaming about it should also count. If one dreams of mountains of gold and silver, one should have become wealthy upon waking. After all, dreams are not reality, not facts. How can the various actions of solitary consciousness, such as speculation, be taken as real? To attain great wisdom, true wisdom, diligently practice concentration, mindful observation, and investigation. Do not let consciousness flexibly and cleverly deduce results. If the mental faculty does not acknowledge that result, all the efforts of consciousness are in vain.