The Function of Mental Intention

Why can a person with deep meditative concentration (samādhi) heal a patient's illness simply through the power of mental intention? Is it the result of direct interaction between one eighth consciousness and another? The power of mental intention primarily arises from the manas's power of mindfulness, and secondarily also from the mind consciousness's power of mindfulness. If the manas's power of mindfulness is strong, its mental power is great and its will is firm, and the eighth consciousness will cooperate, complying with the manas's power of mindfulness to fulfill what the manas thinks, envisions, and wishes. For the manas's power of mindfulness to be strong, there must be very deep meditative concentration, ensuring that the manas's power of mental engagement (manaskāra) is fully concentrated on a single point. Only then is the force of its action powerful, prompting the eighth consciousness to accord with its mind and fulfill its wishes.

If the power of mindfulness is strong enough, one can even kill a person through mental intention. Mental killing involves the arising of a thought and karmic action, so it constitutes the karmic offense of killing just like bodily action, and carries evil retribution; mental intention can also save a person's life—there is the arising of a thought and karmic action, which constitutes wholesome karma and carries wholesome retribution; mental intention can also change another person—there is karmic retribution in this as well. Therefore, never deliberately provoke a person whose power of mental intention is extremely strong; try instead to accord with them. If you anger such a person, the moment they form an intention—without even moving an eyeball—you will meet with misfortune, and you yourself will not even know why you are suffering it. A person with extremely powerful mental intention can stand against ten thousand or even a hundred thousand, equivalent to the strength of an army, and can alter an opponent's fortune. Strong power of mental intention arises, first, from merit; second, from the power of meditative concentration; and third, from the power of wisdom (prajñā-bala). In cultivation, you must rely primarily on yourself, with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as support. Trust in your own strength and gradually reduce your dependence, and you will gradually grow strong.