Why Does Understanding Phenomena Require a Certain Duration?

Why is it necessary to digest for a period after learning something or studying a certain Dharma? What the consciousness knows needs to slowly permeate the mind root, allowing the mind root to also learn, ponder, understand, and comprehend. If the mind root has not yet grasped it, it is not true understanding; the matter has not been digested and absorbed.

For any matter or Dharma to be genuinely understood and assimilated, it requires some time for the mind root to consider and comprehend it. This is called buffering. The better the concentration and the more focused one is, the easier it is for the mind root to understand, and the faster the digestion and absorption occur. Therefore, when everything in the world happens too suddenly or urgently, the mind root lacks psychological preparation and cannot quickly digest these events, leading to inner shock. With more exposure and over time, the mind root becomes psychologically prepared, accepting things calmly without feeling shocked anymore.

Due to sudden accidents, one may be frightened to the point of soul-scattering, deeply shocking the mind root—not just the consciousness. Because of the shock to the mind root, it loses all ability to respond, becoming utterly disoriented. In milder cases, one may be dazed and stunned; in more severe cases, mental derangement occurs; the most extreme reaction is soul-scattering, to the extent that one dies of fright, and even after death, it becomes difficult to reincarnate properly.