The Sensations of Manas Following Perfuming

Question: As a disciple, I contemplate the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self of the physical body, reflecting on both myself and others. The processes of birth, aging, sickness, death, eating, drinking, excretion, and the lack of autonomy over the body are evident. During ordinary walking, contemplation is not deep, but when I settle into stillness and contemplate, a joyful sensation arises in both body and mind. It feels as if I have entered a new realm, as though body and mind have stepped into another state. I greatly enjoy this feeling. Is this sensation due to the mind root (意根) being subtly influenced?

Answer: This is the enlightenment factor of joy (喜觉分) among the seven factors of enlightenment. It is indeed a positive phenomenon arising during the process of being influenced by the Buddha Dharma. The appearance of the enlightenment factor of joy occurs because the mind root has been influenced. It is this joy that enables one to persevere in long-term practice, after which the enlightenment factor of tranquility (倚觉分) will manifest. Joy arising from the depths of the heart all stems from the influence on the mind root, manifesting in the physical body and the conscious mind. It is precisely because the mind root is influenced that various changes occur in body and mind, including sensations of suffering and happiness, as well as neutral sensations. Because the mind root gains new cognition and undergoes a shift in thoughts and perspectives, it prompts transformations in body and mind. By consistently contemplating and observing the non-self nature of the five aggregates (五阴) and other Buddhist principles, the changes in the mind root, body, and mind will become increasingly profound and numerous. Ultimately, quantitative change leads to qualitative transformation—a thorough metamorphosis, like a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate—transforming from an ordinary being into a sage.