When genuinely engaging in meditation practice, due to the profound depth of meditative concentration (dhyāna), the conscious mind (mano-vijñāna) becomes almost inactive, with only the mental faculty (manas) remaining in a state of sustained inquiry, deeply investigating. When conditions are finally ripe, the manas will suddenly discover the Tathāgatagarbha operating within the five aggregates (skandhas), thereby attaining realization. Simultaneously, it transmits this realization to the conscious mind, which then suddenly comprehends, achieving realization almost simultaneously with the manas, whereupon the manas directs the conscious mind to slap the thigh in recognition. As long as the manas attains realization, the body and mind at that moment will exhibit reactions distinct from the ordinary state: physical and mental lightness, joyful and blissful feelings, ease, and liberation. Mere intellectual understanding by the conscious mind alone does not produce these signs and reactions, because the conscious mind does not govern; it cannot control the body. Without meditative concentration, or with shallow concentration, the manas cannot be effectively utilized, as it perceives too many dharmas (phenomena), unable to investigate singularly or to engage in joint investigation with the conscious mind.
Generally speaking, genuine realization of any dharma involves meditative concentration, with the manas participating in the process of investigation. Ultimately, it is the manas that attains realization, which it then communicates to the conscious mind. If the conscious mind realizes first and then informs the manas, the manas cannot fully investigate and deliberate; it merely acquiesces to the conscious mind's view and understanding. The depth of such realization is shallow, as the manas does not fully and thoroughly comprehend it, making it prone to regression. Realizations attained first and foremost by the manas itself are usually held with deep conviction and do not regress.
When the conscious mind engages in emotional thinking or intellectual understanding alone, without the manas participating in the entire thought process, even if the conscious mind grasps some principles, the manas remains perplexed and filled with doubts. The coarse conscious mind generally fails to detect the mental state of the manas. Any conclusions or answers reached solely by the conscious mind are incomplete and non-definitive, lacking evidence or possessing insufficient evidence. In such cases, there can be no talk of regression or non-regression, for there has been no genuine progress to begin with, let alone regression.
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