What to Do When Mind Consciousness, Meditative Concentration, and Wisdom Are Insufficient

The manas can contact and attend to (manasikāra) all the dharmas transformed and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, and it can also introspect upon itself; but when the mind consciousness lacks meditative concentration (samādhi) and wisdom, it does not know that the manas has these functions and capacities. The manas can know events from countless eons ago and countless eons hence; when the mind consciousness lacks meditative concentration and wisdom, it still does not know these cognitions of the manas, and that is why it has no superknowledges (abhijñā). The manas can ascend to the heavens and enter the earth; when the mind consciousness lacks meditative concentration and wisdom, it still cannot follow along in ascending to the heavens and entering the earth. Therefore, do not deny or doubt that the manas has so many marvelous functions and capacities.

When you do not know some dharma, do not deny it; instead, think this way: My mind consciousness lacks meditative concentration, lacks wisdom, and lacks merit (puṇya), so for the time being I am not yet able to comprehend these matters; the problem lies with the mind consciousness itself—do not deny or belittle the people, affairs, things, and principles you do not understand. After the mind consciousness truly and realistically understands its own situation of lacking meditative concentration and wisdom, it must then find ways to change this situation; if it cannot truly and realistically understand this, it cannot think of ways to do so. After thinking of a way, do not keep suggesting to the manas that "I cannot do this, I cannot do that," but rather suggest to the manas: I can certainly make up for it, I can certainly correct it, I can certainly succeed, I can certainly become a Buddha. This is wholesome conditioning—conditioning the manas in accordance with the Dharma and in accord with reality.