The Principles of Meditative Concentration

Sometimes I want to contemplate issues in silence, yet subtle noises always reach my ears—the chirping of insects and so on—which feel somewhat distracting and disruptive. Why do sounds the consciousness dislikes persist and linger? This is the habitual clinging of the manas (the intellectual mind or the seventh consciousness), clinging without any purpose. Its habit is so powerful that the consciousness cannot control it. Only through long-term cultivation of concentration, immersing the mind in something deeply engaging, can one block out the dharmas (phenomena) that the consciousness does not wish to know. When meditation is deep and the consciousness is highly focused, the manas clings to dharmas that the consciousness dislikes and is unwilling to perceive and discern. Once the manas realizes this, it gradually ceases to cling, understanding that the consciousness pays no heed to it. Thus, it stabilizes, and attention becomes concentrated. This is the principle behind cultivating concentration: when the consciousness no longer complies with the manas, the manas is compelled to restrain itself and revolve around the consciousness, thereby stabilizing both.