The Importance of Distinguishing Conceptual Understanding from Experiential Realization

For those who genuinely practice, there is no need to specifically explain the manas; they will be able to realize it through personal verification. For those who do not genuinely practice, one must tell them the difference between intellectual understanding and realization, so that everyone will not be satisfied with mere understanding and will strive for actual realization. This is a special accommodation for the restless sentient beings of the Dharma-ending age. Beings' minds are extremely restless and agitated; they are unwilling to put in painstaking effort, unwilling to keep the precepts, unwilling to cultivate meditative concentration. Even if they wish to keep the precepts or cultivate concentration, due to environmental factors they are unable to do so; therefore they cannot engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and cannot attain realization. They can only read books day after day, letting the mind consciousness intellectually comprehend a little, and when their understanding reaches a certain point, they go around telling others that they have realized enlightenment. Therefore, it is necessary to teach some special dharmas during this special period. Teaching the dharma in a special way for special sentient beings is precisely what accords with beings' spiritual faculties (indriya) and resolves their actual and fundamental problems.