The Function of Mental Faculty Memory

Ru Chun: I feel that when reciting the Shurangama Mantra very quickly, I also enter a state of complete self-forgetfulness. It feels as if only my lips are moving apart and together, and I only need to glance slightly with my eyes. Without waiting for my consciousness to fully see the characters clearly, my mouth has already glided through that line. That feeling is also quite interesting. 

Master: Reciting very quickly is also a form of concentration. There's no time for scattered or random thoughts; it's extremely focused. However, it consumes vital energy and cannot be sustained for long periods. This situation occurs because the mantra has become very familiar, almost to the point of being memorized, so it doesn't require much conscious effort to read. Reading the mantra consciously is relatively slow, requiring one to look at each character and word, and cannot be done too rapidly. When the manas (the mental faculty) remembers the mantra, it can almost play back automatically. The speed becomes so fast that consciousness cannot keep up to see the text clearly; it may not match the speed of the manas. This is the merit of the manas' memory. 

Ru Chun: It does consume quite a bit of energy. After a while, I feel my strength is insufficient, unable to gather my mind, and I start to lose focus. Perhaps because it's become familiar, I'm less willing to recite it slowly, word by word. 

Master: When you can recite sutras and mantras from memory, you must learn to use mental recitation. That is, reciting with the manas, where the sutra or mantra flows through the mind without words, language, or sound—reciting silently and soundlessly. This allows for very quick and deep entry into concentration. The unwillingness to recite word by word comes from the manas. Reciting aloud involves consciousness reading and speaking simultaneously. In terms of speed, the manas is still the fastest. Without needing words, language, or sound, a single mental flick completes the task. Therefore, it is said that the manas is the sharpest mental consciousness.