The Uninterrupted Attention of the Manas and Buddhist Practice and Realization

Question: Continuous attention (manaskāra) seems to be something that, after the Dharma principles have penetrated deep into the manas, only the manas can accomplish—continuous attention, never letting go, thought after thought. In fact, isn't merit precisely the inevitable product of the manas' acceptance or transformation? As long as the manas has genuinely accepted and taken it on, the merit of realizing the fruits naturally arises, and wisdom arises as well—this is a series of naturally occurring events, and the root of realizing the Dharma still lies in the manas. Is that correct?

Answer: That is correct. Continuous attention—"continuous" means uninterrupted. Only the manas can adhere to the Dharma principles without interruption, throughout the six periods of the day and night, from morning to evening, thought after thought without cease. This requires the mind consciousness to cultivate and steep itself in the Buddha's teachings until the conditioning successfully permeates the manas. When the manas considers the Buddha's teachings to be important, it will hold the Dharma in mind thought after thought, its thoughts never departing from the Dharma, and one day it will surely realize the Dharma. If the manas does not hold the Buddha's teachings in mind, the mind consciousness's thoughts of the Dharma will inevitably be interrupted, and it cannot adhere to the Dharma without interruption. 

Using hypnotic methods, one can also make the manas accept something, after which the manas undergoes a transformation. Each person's degree of acceptance and realization of the Buddha's Dharma by the manas differs, so the impressions received differ, the transformations differ, and the wisdom differs as well. Therefore, fundamental wisdom still refers to what the manas brings about.