Does departing from the discriminating mind amount to being a dead person?

First, let me say that being free from the discriminating mind does not mean being a dead person, because this discriminating mind refers to the mind consciousness. There are many situations in which one is free from the mind consciousness; the most ordinary and common situation is sleep, when the discriminating mind is absent, yet the person does not die. Although being free from the discriminating mind of the consciousness does not cause death, many things can no longer be done—there would be no daily life, and things would be delayed. Such a situation is not much better than being dead; the obstruction is quite severe.

When many things are done frequently and become very familiar, they can be completed quickly and directly without the mind consciousness analyzing and deliberating—for example, lifting a leg to walk without thinking about which foot to step forward with first, or opening the mouth to eat as soon as food reaches the lips. Yet without the consciousness, even these extremely familiar tasks could not be done. Therefore, the functions and roles of the mind consciousness are extremely important for those without supernatural powers. In many cases, the consciousness appears not to discriminate, yet its capacity to discern is constantly operating, so that sentient beings can engage in all kinds of bodily, verbal, and mental actions and thereby survive.