What Is the State of the Non-Arising of a Single Thought?

When not a single thought arises, there is no solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta); when the solitary consciousness exists, there must be thought. Thought is the thought of the solitary consciousness; the consciousness accompanied by the five senses (pañca-sahagata-mano-vijñāna) merely knows, discerns, and discriminates. When the consciousness accompanied by the five senses is only in a state of discerning and knowing, without engaging in discrimination, that is the state of not a single thought arising. At this time, the knowing function of the manas becomes relatively prominently manifest. The manas does have knowing, and it also has thought; it is just that the mind consciousness is not aware of it clearly. At this time one is also in a state of meditative concentration (samādhi): the mind is not scattered or complicated, and affairs are few and simple. When not a single thought arises, the mind consciousness no longer gives rise to thoughts, but the manas is not so—the thoughts of the manas generally never cease. For example, when not a single thought arises, one suddenly thinks of a matter, and immediately gets up and goes out to attend to it; this is the result of the manas turning its thoughts while the mind consciousness gives rise to no thoughts.

How does this state come about? It is also brought about by the manas making decisions as the master. When the manas does not cling to objects or wish to discriminate dharmas, the mind consciousness can only obey, existing and operating quietly. This is also when the manas has no particular ideas, when the manas has no obvious thoughts. If the manas has ideas, it will prompt the mind consciousness to act, to realize the manas's ideas; if the manas is mindful of other dharmas, the mind consciousness will inevitably be distracted to deal with them, and will not be quiet, but rather turbulent and busy. In this way, being unable to abide in stillness, there is no meditative concentration (samādhi).