The Contemplative Practice of Cultivating the Mind and Cultivating the Body

Regarding brain waves: each brain neuron has a nerve nucleus, and every nerve nucleus constantly emits brain waves outward at all times and places—this is the root of the consumption of one's own energy in our everyday mental activities. Moreover, when the six faculties contact the six sense objects, and the mind consciousness engages in the power of mindfulness, analysis, reasoning, and judgment, it releases large amounts of brain waves. When the mind consciousness is deliberating, the brain waves consumed outwardly are at their greatest; therefore, for a person cultivating meditative concentration (samādhi), when turning attention inward and not grasping at external objects, the energy consumed is very little.

All the nerve tissues of the entire body ultimately converge in the brain. The inner six sense objects manifest there in the brain, and the seventh consciousness also operates there. When the seventh consciousness is active, every movement and transformation affects the brain's nervous system, which then transmits throughout the whole body. Therefore, it can be said that the various activities and reactions of the conscious mind can induce changes in the physical body, affecting the body's breathing, heartbeat, pulse, blood circulation, internal organs, and even the skin. In the end, one reaches a conclusion: cultivating the mind is cultivating the body. There is another conclusion: cultivating the body can also nourish the mind. This conclusion is left for everyone to deduce and to verify the reasoning within.

The Buddha-dharma is the most rigorous science, the most cutting-edge science; but if one lacks merit, lacks meditative concentration, and lacks wisdom, then one cannot realize it. When the power of concentration is insufficient, one's capacity for logical thinking cannot keep up, one's deliberation is not sufficiently meticulous, and wisdom cannot be developed. Many people always love to study theory everywhere, yet are never willing to spend time cultivating meditative concentration and engaging in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) of the Buddha-dharma. As a result, what they learn is merely theoretical knowledge, of not the slightest use to their own body and mind: afflictions remain afflictions, lack of wisdom remains lack of wisdom, arrogance remains arrogance, and the self remains the self—they gain not a bit of the benefit of liberation of body and mind.