The Power of Mindfulness of the Manas Equals the Power of Karma

The manas's power of wisdom and power of mindfulness are inseparable from the power of meditative concentration (samādhi); these three absolutely cannot be divided. At the time of death, in the neutrino-body (antarā-bhava), and after conception, everything relies on the manas's power of wisdom. If the manas's power of wisdom is good, the power of mindfulness will be good; at the time of death, conception takes place through the manas's power of mindfulness, which determines the destiny of the next life. The manas's power of mindfulness is equivalent to the power of karma. If the manas's wholesome aspirations are strong, right mindfulness will be strong, which shows that through cultivation the power of unwholesome karma has been transformed and wholesome karma outweighs unwholesome karma; if the manas's unwholesome thoughts are strong, unwholesome karma will be strong—this person's cultivation is ineffective, and at death and conception he is drawn along by whichever is stronger. If the manas has not realized the Buddha's Dharma, then at death and conception one is not a noble one but remains an ordinary being/worldling (pṛthagjana), with the destiny of an ordinary being, transmigrating through birth and death according to that destiny. If one does not strengthen the manas's wisdom and does not rely on the manas's wisdom, then a lifetime of cultivation will yield no usable result.

For example, mindfulness of the Buddha—recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti)—is right mindfulness. At the time of death, the mind consciousness is weak and cannot remember to recollect the Buddha, or lacks the strength to do so. If the recollection of the Buddha has not been infused into the manas, and the manas has not formed the habit of recollecting the Buddha, then the manas does not know to recollect the Buddha; at that time there will be no resonance with the Buddha, and one cannot elicit the response of the Buddha coming to receive and guide one, so one can only drift along with one's karma, transmigrating through birth and death. As a result, a lifetime of recollecting the Buddha leaves only a few seeds, which play no role at the time of death. Such is the retribution of those who only grasp at the mind consciousness and do not cultivate and study deeply.