The Levels of Permeation (vāsanā) with Regard to Theory

Learning and cultivation occur at two levels: initially at the shallow level of the mind consciousness, and only at the end can one reach the deep level of the manas. In learning any kind of theoretical knowledge, it is always the mind consciousness that begins learning first; at the initial stage it has not yet reached the manas. While the mind consciousness learns, it simultaneously perfumes the manas. When the perfuming succeeds, the theoretical knowledge is mastered and becomes one's own genuine insight, turning into one's own learning and skill, which can be brought into play anytime and anywhere, without obstruction, and without being forgotten. Only knowledge grasped by the mind consciousness can be forgotten, because it is learned from outside—it belongs to others, not to oneself. What truly belongs to oneself is never forgotten, nor does it need to be deliberately held in memory; it is available whenever used. This is called the natural flowing forth from one's own mind, not the parroting of another's words. In the cultivation and realization of the Buddha-Dharma, some also call it the flowing forth from one's self-nature.