The Process of Proving All Dharmas Reveals True Wisdom

The process of verifying all dharmas necessarily involves the direct participation of manas (the mental faculty). For manas to ascertain a definitive result, it must know the true reality. For manas to know the true reality, it requires evidence. Acquiring this evidence is a laborious process: not only must consciousness diligently gather evidence extensively and with profound subtlety, but manas must also generate deep doubt, joining in the search for evidence, collaborating in the verification, and confirming the evidence collected by consciousness. This process is exceedingly difficult; it is not a casual, effortless acceptance of a dharma like consciousness might do. Manas undergoes repeated mental struggles, repeated profound and subtle deliberations, striving to overturn its ingrained cognitive habits and incorrect views accumulated over beginningless kalpas.

Once manas discovers [the truth], it overturns previous knowledge. Consequently, manas is deeply stirred and shaken, producing intense physical and mental sensations. Without this process, there can be no talk of genuine practice and verification. Without samadhi (meditative concentration), this process cannot be completed at all, nor can there be any talk of genuine practice and verification; it would merely be empty rhetoric.

The Buddha has provided answers for the results of nearly all dharmas—such as "like a dream," "like an illusion," "like the moon in water," "like an image in a mirror," "like a mirage," and so forth—these are all answers given by the Buddha. What is so remarkable about knowing the answers? It is the process of verification that truly reveals each individual's genuine wisdom. The discriminative wisdom that knows nothing upon questioning—even someone slightly intelligent can attain it; there's nothing extraordinary about it.

Those unenlightened ordinary beings, due to their intelligence, strong comprehension, broad knowledge, and excellent literary and oratory skills, can spend some time and write tens of thousands of words expounding on how all dharmas are like a dream or an illusion. Yet, where in these expositions is there any trace of contemplation practice? Where is there any trace of actual verification? Where is the process of proof? Some people are particularly fond of such things, reciting them day and night. But even if one accumulates five cartloads of learning, what use is it?