What Does 'Using the Mind' Mean?

Cultivate flowers with care, and every flower can be kept alive; cook with care, and every dish can be delicious; make friends with care, and every friend will be a good friend; love others with care, and everyone will become like family; do things with care, and every task will be a good deed; conduct yourself with care, and everyone will be a good person; recollect the Buddha with care, and every recollection of the Buddha will be merit; subdue demons with care, and every demon can be eliminated; seek the Dharma with care, and every dharma can illuminate the mind; investigate Chan with care, and in every instance of Chan one can see one's nature. Apply the mind, apply the mind — and every mind is no-mind.

All of the activities described above involve the conscious mind (识心). Without the operation of the conscious mind, there would be no activity at all — one could not cultivate flowers, could not make friends, could not conduct oneself and accomplish tasks, could not recollect the Buddha, could not investigate Chan. Why, then, in the midst of these activities, must one still "apply the mind"? And what does "applying the mind" as spoken of here actually mean?

In all the activities of the five-aggregate body, when the mind consciousness actively and clearly understands the principles involved, but the manas remains passive and does not understand them, the activities of the five-aggregate body are still carried out, but the manas is merely passive, dragged along by the mind consciousness. It takes no interest in them and does not understand why they are done this way. Therefore it is not sincere — it is not wholehearted and genuine. This is also called "no-mind." With such no-mind, it is very difficult to store seeds. Although the deed is done, the result is not ideal, the effect is poor, and the karmic retribution is slight.

If one wants the best result and superior karmic retribution, the mind consciousness must enable the manas to clearly understand the true principles involved, permeating and influencing the manas so that the manas actively and proactively decides to act and plays the leading role. Only then is the effect good, only then is it sincere and wholehearted. The tathāgatagarbha will then cooperate to bring about the finest outcome, store the finest seeds, and the karmic retribution in future lives will also be superior.

Some people also investigate Chan, some also recollect the Buddha, some also study the Dharma, some also do work, some also treat others well — yet the role the manas plays in these differs, and so the results differ. If the manas does not truly apply itself, remaining muddled and unfocused, chasing after objects everywhere, the effect is greatly diminished, and the results fall short of one's wishes.