How to Deal with and Respond to Latent Afflictions (anuśaya)

Everyone has latent afflictions (anuśaya) that they themselves are unaware of or find difficult to observe, which only manifest under certain conditions of causes and conditions. Is it better to actively participate in social activities so that these latent afflictions manifest, or better to cultivate in seclusion behind closed doors and not let them manifest?

Latent afflictions mainly refer to afflictive habitual tendencies. Greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, doubt, and wrong views are all afflictions. Without the meditative concentration of the first dhyāna, and without having cultivated to the stage of the third fruit (Anāgāmin), these afflictions cannot be eliminated; when the opportunity arises, they will manifest in activity—only that in some people they are light and in others heavy. The meaning of latent afflictions is that afflictive habitual tendencies lie dormant hidden within the mind consciousness and are not easy to discover. These habitual tendencies begin to be eliminated starting from the first-bhūmi bodhisattvas; ordinary beings and arhats simply do not have the ability to eliminate them. If the manifestation of afflictions is too heavy, one should cultivate meditative concentration more and contemplate the principle of non-self more. If you cannot discover them yourself but still wish to subdue them, then you must temper yourself among people, and when others point them out, you must be able to listen and be good at going along with it; you must not, upon having others point them out, give rise to hatred and commit unwholesome actions. If that is your situation, then go less among people; if not, then stay more among people, introspectively observing your own bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and humbly listen to others' advice.

Both subduing afflictions and eliminating afflictions take place in the course of encountering conditions and facing circumstances: when the arising of an affliction is discovered, turn the light inward and cut it off right at that moment. If you stay away from people, afflictions do not easily arise, and so cannot be discovered; then the afflictions remain hidden in the mind, with no conditions for their elimination. When you arrive in other Buddha-lands, everything is favorable circumstances, afflictions have no opportunity to arise, and their elimination becomes very difficult, so cultivation proceeds very slowly. Although one lives quite comfortably, progress on the Path is very slow.