Why are material form (rūpa-dharma) and mental dharmas composed of a series of images?

Ru Zhao: Disciple just now suddenly had an insight: this world is not dynamic, but is composed of one photograph after another. Seeing all people, things, and affairs as if they were composed of one picture after another, my mind no longer takes the various people, things, and affairs particularly seriously; it feels like looking at photographs. The reason for this insight is that a few days ago my hand was scratched by a cat, and I watched helplessly as a streak of blood appeared on the back of my hand, and then the blood seeped out drop by drop. At the time I did not feel pain, nor did I take this matter to heart. Deep inside (the manas) was thinking about some problem—what exactly it was thinking, I do not know.

After several days, the mind consciousness suddenly understood: all dharmas are composed of one picture after another. These pictures constitute what seems to be a continuous animation and psychological feelings. After having this insight, body and mind immediately became settled. It is the same at the time of death: the material form in the animation changes bit by bit, including the conscious mind—whatever comes from somewhere returns to that same place. All dharmas neither increase nor decrease, and there is no movement or turning. Looking at the people, things, and affairs of the external world becomes more and more like watching an animated film; even in dreams I became settled, no longer rushing about, applying the mind, or investing feelings in the various scenes, and my sleep has also improved a great deal.

In the past I have always been observing myself, and many times I could sense the manas popping up to become active—each time I caught it, I hit the mark. So I thought: since I can catch the manas accurately, how should I catch the eighth consciousness? In theory I already know that it is the eighth consciousness that gives birth to and cooperates with the five aggregates, but the manas did not truly understand, and I could not awaken to it. So I stopped thinking about it, not letting the mind consciousness ponder it, and buried this idea deep down, continuing to practice and continuing to apply the mind. Disciple feels this method works quite well.

Assessment: All dharmas in the material world and the mental world arise, cease, and change moment by moment; they are not continuous. The preceding moment ceases, and the following moment arises; the dharma of the preceding moment and that of the following moment are not the same one, but two different dharmas. Because dharmas connected together in this moment-by-moment way evolve with extreme rapidity, the naked eye simply cannot detect the difference between before and after, and one mistakenly believes that the dharmas have always existed, unborn and unceasing, and feels them to be extremely real. Thus grasping mind and behavior arise, and from this the karmic actions of birth and death are produced.

The reason Ru Zhao has gained some insight into this dharma is that she practices very diligently, can bring forth the great bodhi mind, actively and earnestly cooperates with her master in propagating the Dharma to benefit sentient beings, has cultivated great merit, and has effectively subdued her afflictions and innate afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa). For this reason, her contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) is very good; she can objectively observe herself and others, and has finally gained a precious insight into the phenomenal world.

Was this insight on the part of the mind consciousness or the manas? Mostly the mind consciousness, with only a little from the manas. Therefore, after this, the manas kept secretly and silently pondering and experiencing the question of how the pictures are composed. After mulling it over for several days, it understood the principle within, and let the mind consciousness know it. Because the manas gained the insight, both body and mind became settled, sleep also became settled, she no longer worries about the world of the five aggregates, and no longer fears death.

Ru Zhao studies the nature of the manas very diligently; her powers of concentration and observation are quite good, and her observation of the manas feels fairly accurate. Thus she wanted to go a step further and be able to observe the eighth consciousness. But before attaining enlightenment, relying on the mind consciousness to think and ponder, one can only understand but not awaken; one can only practice earnestly, step by solid step. Through actual practice the mind is at peace; through realizing the Way the mind is even more at peace. If one can realize, do not merely understand—after merely understanding, things become very troublesome.