Speculation and Conjecture: The Completely Unreliable Path of Practice

Due to limited wisdom and insufficient meditative concentration, sentient beings are unable to contemplate deeply, and the deliberation of the mental faculty (manas) cannot function properly. Regarding the more profound Dharma, they habitually resort to conjecture and speculation, which are functions of the conscious mind (mano-vijñāna), entirely devoid of the wisdom inherent in the mental faculty. The most severe form of this conjecture and speculation is the casual assertion that after enlightenment, one can observe how the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) gives rise to the body (rūpa), the sense faculties (indriyas), and the material universe (bhājana-loka).

The "root" (根) refers to the body and the sense faculties. How the eighth consciousness uses seeds (bījas) to gradually produce the body root (the physical body) and how it produces the eye faculty, ear faculty, nose faculty, and tongue faculty – even after enlightenment, cultivating for one asamkhyeya kalpa (an incalculable eon) might allow one to observe a tiny bit; two asamkhyeya kalpas would probably allow observation of much more. The "vessel" (器) refers to the material universe, the spatial environment where sentient beings exist. How the eighth consciousness uses seeds to produce the material universe – even after enlightenment, cultivating for one asamkhyeya kalpa might still not allow observation; two asamkhyeya kalpas would probably allow observation of some aspects.

The "realm" (界) refers to the eighteen elements (dhātus): the six sense faculties, the six sense objects, and the six consciousnesses. How the eighth consciousness uses seeds to produce the six sense faculties and the six sense objects – even after enlightenment, cultivating for one asamkhyeya kalpa would be very difficult to observe; two asamkhyeya kalpas would probably allow observation of some aspects. How the eighth consciousness uses consciousness-seeds to produce the six consciousnesses – after enlightenment, cultivating for one asamkhyeya kalpa might allow observation of some aspects, but not complete and perfect observation.

However, regardless of what one might observe, if it does not lead to a transformation of one's inner mind, and if one's physical, verbal, and mental actions do not change as a result of this observation, then such so-called observations are not true observations but mere conjecture and speculation. Conjecture and speculation are modes of thinking belonging to the conscious mind; they do not involve the deliberation of the mental faculty, the master consciousness. What is conjectured and speculated upon thus lacks transformative power. It cannot alter physical, verbal, and mental actions, cannot eliminate afflictions (kleśa) and seeds of unwholesome karma, and yields no pure merit and fruition.