Answers to Questions on the Contemplative Practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness 17

Answer: When one practices very diligently, karmic forces will manifest. The mind is entirely on cultivation rather than on worldly dharmas, running contrary to one's former habitual tendencies. The manas comes under great suppression and cannot keep up with the pace of practice, so one feels distressed and does not want to practice—this is when the reversal phenomenon appears. It means the manas is rebelling: He does not want to be too diligent, does not want the difference from before to be too great, too contrary to His own wishes. When the mind consciousness cannot suppress the manas, laziness and listlessness in behavior will appear, or one becomes agitated and restless. When this happens, one should observe one's own mental state and search for the real underlying cause, then prescribe the right remedy. One can reason with oneself inwardly again, contemplating the suffering of the world and the importance of cultivation; or one can temporarily go along with the manas and relax a bit, without keeping one's nerves too taut. Cultivation is like playing the qin: the strings must not always be kept taut—if they are too tight, they will snap. When body and mind cannot keep up with the pace of practice, one should relax a little. Rather than letting the strings snap and taking a long time to recover, it is better to loosen them temporarily. Playing the qin requires just the right balance of tension and relaxation for the music to be beautiful. The Buddha discussed this issue in the sūtras, so we should stay attuned to the condition of our body and mind at all times, seeing whether we can bear it. When we cannot bear it, we should slow down. Diligence is a good thing, but we must grasp the proper measure.