Two Levels of Recollection of the Buddha

Recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti) has two levels: one is recollecting the Buddha with the mind consciousness only, which is relatively shallow because the manas is not interested; the other is when not only the mind consciousness recollects the Buddha, but the manas also recollects the Buddha—this is deeper and more focused. Even when the mind consciousness is not recollecting the Buddha, driven by the manas, one involuntarily brings up the Buddha's name.

When the mind consciousness recollects the Buddha but the manas does not like recollecting the Buddha, the mind is rather scattered. One recollects the Buddha while watching TV, while chatting, while having wandering thoughts—there are many miscellaneous affairs.

When the manas recollects the Buddha, one can recollect the Buddha even while sleeping, even while dreaming, even while working, even while thinking through problems—one can recollect the Buddha no matter what one is doing. Meditative concentration/meditative absorption (samādhi) of Buddha-recollection is necessarily initiated by the manas: in all times, thought after thought is recollecting the Buddha without interruption, and body and mind experience tranquility and a sense of joy.

There was a person who participated in a retreat of reciting one million Buddha-names, reciting the Buddha's name one million times in one week. She held a string of 108 beads in her hand; after completing one round, she would move one bead on the 108-bead string. In this way, her left and right hands continuously moved the beads while the Buddha's name was incessantly on her lips. At the same time, she could watch TV, offer her opinions, watch others doing things, and sometimes even get angry—truly extremely busy. Her manas was grasping at objects everywhere, so her mind consciousness could only recollect the Buddha in a perfunctory manner, without any focus at all.

It can be seen that only by subduing the manas can one attain meditative concentration in recollecting the Buddha, can one attain the meditative absorption (samādhi) of Buddha-recollection. Concentration is still about concentrating the manas; concentrating the mind consciousness does not solve the problem.