Single-Minded Focus Reveals Truth and Facts

Many psychologists and other members of society do not believe in or practice Buddhism, yet they can clearly distinguish between consciousness and the subconscious. We who study Buddhism and Yogācāra, however, cannot distinguish between the two — it is truly embarrassing and shameful to say. As for Yogācāra scholars and experts, if their observational and deliberative wisdom is not even as good as that of a psychologist who has neither meditative concentration (samādhi) nor the Yogācāra wisdom of prajñā, then what kind of Yogācāra expert or scholar can they even be considered? I do not know why such a situation has arisen.

A: This is how I understand it: some scholars, artists, and scientific researchers often engage in constant research, thinking about it day and night, so that their power of concentration becomes quite strong and they frequently enter a state of meditative absorption (samādhi) without realizing it; that is why they are able to observe subtle details.

B: Right, they have meditative concentration (samādhi), but it was not cultivated deliberately — rather, it comes from an immense passion and interest. Because they are not attached to the rules and frameworks of religion, nor to religious disputes over right and wrong. I have seen many religious believers who, on the contrary, restrict themselves and live in a world of concepts and thoughts. These scholars have enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility for their research and inquiry, and thus they can focus single-pointedly, uninterested in anything else or anyone else, and thereby they can discover truth and facts.