The Impenetrability of Material Rupa Originates from the Solidified Vikalpa of Manas

All material forms (rūpa) are composed of the Four Great Elements. From the perspective of sentient beings' solidified deluded minds, all material forms possess obstructive qualities, mutually impenetrable and incapable of transcending each other. In reality, this is entirely not the case; it is an illusion, an illusion that has persisted from countless eons past until now, with no knowing when it will cease. What is the actual state of material forms? It is as revealed under a hundred-million-fold microscope: entirely a state of seemingly chaotic, swirling, arising-and-ceasing, transforming particles—a quantum state immeasurably smaller than an atomic nucleus, utterly devoid of any obstructive function. It is not at all like a seamless wall or an iron plate.

Since all matter is in a particle state, there is no obstruction between particles; they can penetrate and permeate each other as if the other did not exist. Not only is the skin on the surface of the human body in a particle state, but also the bones, muscles, internal organs, tendons, nails, hair, blood, and every cell within the body—all are entirely in a particle state, utterly invisible to the naked eye and only perceptible to the divine eye (divya-cakṣus). The tiniest particles are beyond even the vision of a scientist's hundred-million-fold microscope; these are the minutest particles initially formed from the Four Great Seeds.

In truth, the ultimate state of material forms is precisely those particles invisible to the naked eye. The body manifests as a particle state; mountains, rivers, the great earth, walls, and the universe—the vessel realm—all manifest as a particle state. Thus, the body can pass through mountains, rivers, the great earth, walls, and the universe without hindrance or obstruction. When humans attain spiritual powers (ṛddhi), it is precisely like this. The human material body and the wall are both composed of particles; a person can then pass through walls as if there were no wall, traverse the ocean as if there were no sea, and pass through great mountains like Mount Sumeru as if Mount Sumeru did not exist.

Therefore, when we truly cultivate and attain deep meditative concentration (dhyāna), the mind faculty (manas) ceases to perceive the body as a truly existing, materially obstructive thing, or forgets the body altogether. Then, the supernatural foot power (ṛddhi-pāda) manifests. However, for us now, the mind faculty, through solidified delusion, has formed all these phenomena. The solidified delusion of the mind faculty perceives all phenomena as truly existent, as extremely solid, impenetrable, and airtight. Consequently, this material body becomes obstructive, walls become obstructive, and the universe, the starry sky—all become obstructive. Once cultivation breaks open this conceptual view, all material forms lose their obstructive function.

The purpose of cultivation is to alter the cognitive habits of the mind faculty within meditative concentration, to elevate the wisdom of the mind faculty, and to break open conceptual views. Then, sentient beings can attain liberation (vimukti), and the material body itself will also be liberated.