The Mark of Spiritual Practice Lies in the Transformation of Mental Formations and Mental Factors

The mental states of ordinary people differ from one another, and it is desirable that the mental states before and after studying Buddhism become increasingly distinct. If someone has studied Buddhism for ten or twenty years yet their mind, mental activities, and mental states remain unchanged, what has this person been doing for decades? If after many years of study, there is no transformation in mental activities and mental states, and afflictions have not been subdued to a certain degree, leaving a vast difference from the mental states and behaviors of a stream-enterer, how could one progress toward stream-entry and then attain the fruit of stream-entry? If the mind remains unchanged yet one claims the fruit of a sage, disaster follows when virtue does not match the position.

As long as one’s practice gives rise to the seven factors of enlightenment, the mental states will inevitably transform. If there is no transformation, the seven factors of enlightenment are incomplete, and without their completeness, it is impossible to attain any fruit regardless of effort. How many people, without even approaching the periphery of the seven factors of enlightenment, have instead taken home and enjoyed the grand fruit of sainthood? Such is the Dharma Ending Age.