How Are Afflictions Subdued and Eliminated?

When an affliction arises in one's own mind, upon noticing it one recalls the dharma teachings one has learned—that all people, things, and affairs are empty—and feels that one should not have given rise to this affliction, and so one snuffs it out, becoming as if the affliction had never arisen. Is this the state of having severed afflictions? Not at all. This is the state of "awakening the moment a thought arises, and the thought vanishes upon being awakened to." But before the awakening, the thought has after all already arisen and appeared; it cannot be treated as never having occurred.

Once a thought has emerged, there is an affliction; where there is an affliction, it is not the state of having severed afflictions. No matter what happens afterward, the affliction has after all appeared, which proves that the manas does have afflictions, and that they have also manifested. Although the mind consciousness is later-born and later to awaken, the manas has afflictions innately and is non-awakened. And the afflictions of the manas cannot always rely on the mind consciousness to be discovered and managed, because, first, the mind consciousness may fail to stop the affliction in time, thus forming afflicted karmic actions and leaving behind karmic seeds; second, the mind consciousness cannot operate together with the manas at every moment and in every place, nor can it always be clear-minded and awake—it also has moments of being weak, muddled, and absent, in which case there is no way to discover and manage the manas's afflictions.

Cutting off afflictions as soon as they arise—this is what must be done in the initial stages of practice. After meditative concentration (samādhi) is attained, one will gradually transition to having fewer thoughts, naturally not giving rise to afflictions, gradually subduing and suppressing afflictions. Forcibly snuffing out thoughts to subdue afflictions is very difficult. In fact, in the end, whether it is suppressing afflictions or severing them, no such counteractive measures are needed: once meditative concentration appears, afflictions naturally cease to arise. Within meditative concentration, afflictions naturally and gradually become fewer and lighter, then are subdued, and finally are naturally severed within the concentration. Those who have meditative concentration can understand this principle. Those whose meditative concentration has arisen and become firm—think about it: have you ever specifically counteracted your afflictions? Do they not naturally cease to appear within meditative concentration? Those without meditative concentration, lacking sufficient power of concentration, have no choice but to engage in inner dialogue, with the mind consciousness reasoning with the manas. Those who have meditative concentration find that the manas naturally follows the teachings and is naturally receptive to perfuming.

For example, "when vital energy is full, one does not think of food"—is not wanting to eat the result of counteractive measures, or the result of a natural process? Forcibly not eating or eating less is very difficult and distressing, but when one has cultivated concentration until the vital energy in the body is full, with qi constantly filling the stomach, one naturally does not feel hunger. "When essence is full, one does not think of lust"—is this the result of counteractive measures, or the result of a natural process? Likewise, when one has cultivated concentration until the essence in the body is full, thoughts of lust naturally do not arise; forcible restraint is very difficult. "When spirit is full, one does not think of sleep"—is this the result of counteractive measures, or the result of a natural process? Likewise, when one has cultivated concentration until the spirit is full, there is no need for sleep to restore one's vitality—one naturally does not feel drowsy; forcibly going without sleep would be unbearable for the body. The subduing and severing of other afflictions are all similar to this.

Only outsiders to practice, at the stage before entering the gate, use theory to counteract and suppress afflictions. Having suppressed them for a while, they claim to have severed afflictions, or attained realization of the fruits, or awakened to the true mind—but in fact they have not yet entered the gate of practice. The merit of meditative concentration lies precisely in subduing and severing afflictions. Without meditative concentration, no matter how complete the theory, there is nothing one can do about afflictions—each thing is subdued by another; meditative concentration subdues afflictions. Once afflictions are subdued, karmic obstructions and the obstructions to seeing the Path are subdued; only without obstructions can one see the Path. Therefore, without severing afflictions, it is impossible to attain bodhi.

Practice is a process of the self's dissolution. As long as the direction of practice is correct and the method appropriate, and one diligently applies effort to cultivate the Path, the self will dissolve bit by bit, and of course the afflictions associated with the self will also dissolve bit by bit along with it—imperceptibly, the afflictions disappear. After practicing for a period of time, looking back, one discovers that one has changed. Where is there any such thing as using theory to counteract afflictions, or afflictions poking their heads out only to shrink back?