Pratyekabuddhas Realize, Not Merely Comprehend, the Twelve Nidānas

The Agama Sutras describe the Pratyekabuddha's contemplation through both forward and backward tracing of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. Although the language describing the Pratyekabuddha's investigation is relatively concise and the presented cultivation process appears simple, the actual practice undertaken by Pratyekabuddhas is far from easy, involving a complex and arduous journey. During genuine contemplative practice, it occurs within profound meditative concentration (dhyana). While the conscious mind (mano-vijñāna) engages in thought, the underlying mental faculty (manas) simultaneously deliberates. Consequently, the outcome is invariably one of actual realization (actualization). Without meditative concentration, only the conscious mind thinks; without the synchronous deliberation of manas, realization is impossible. Understanding may occur, but such understanding is ultimately useless.

The Buddha could not disclose the detailed practical process of the Pratyekabuddha's cultivation. The purpose was to encourage future practitioners to exert diligent effort and attain realization themselves. Providing excessive explanation risks leading people to merely conceptual understanding, preventing their practice from reaching the necessary depth. Hence, only a simplified account could be given. Within those brief descriptions of thought and dialogue, one must never assume that the Pratyekabuddha arrived at realization solely through the conscious mind's reasoning and logical thinking. To claim so would be tantamount to disrespecting the Pratyekabuddha. The Pratyekabuddha's meditative concentration is exceptionally profound; the role of the conscious mind absolutely cannot dominate, nor can it overpower the manas. The investigation and deliberation of manas must be the primary force. The deeper one's meditative concentration, the more manas is utilized. Conversely, the more the conscious mind is used, relying mainly on its imagination, reasoning, and speculation, the less manas can be effectively engaged.

Similarly, Arhats all possess deep meditative concentration. When observing the aggregates (skandhas) of the past and future, they do not rely on conscious reasoning, inference (anumāna), or invalid cognition (abhāva). Their observation is direct perception (pratyakṣa), involving the manas. This is because those physical forms (rūpa-kāya) are identical to the present aggregate-body (pañca-skandha kāya), belonging to the same category. By realizing the nature of the present, they know the past and future. For instance, consider a batch of identical products needing inspection. Since all products are the same, sampling and checking one reveals the state of the entire batch—assuming no one has mixed in different products. Under the guarantee of perfect identicalness, examining one or a few suffices to know the whole. Therefore, the realization of Arhats is based on direct perception (pratyakṣa pramāṇa). What is, simply is. There is no mode of thinking involving imagination, nor a comparative mode of thinking. Those without meditative concentration inevitably fall into the conscious mind's functions of inferential and invalid cognition.