The Best Time to Influence and Persuade the Manas

Western psychologists have said that the best way to make the subconscious remember things is to enter a drowsy, hazy state, or a state similar to sleep. In such a state, all conscious-level effort is reduced to a minimum. Then, all ideas can be transmitted to the subconscious through imagery, in a quiet, passive, and receptive manner.

This is a good method for perfuming the manas and hypnotizing the manas. For eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) and subduing afflictions, self-hypnosis is also the fastest and most effective method. Self-hypnosis can directly enable the manas to discern and accept the selflessness of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha).

Relaxation, quietness, drowsiness, or just having woken up—at all these times there is meditation (samādhi), the mind is not scattered, and at the same time the mind consciousness is still present. The mind consciousness's power of deliberation is relatively weak, but it still has a discerning function; although its force is small, it can still observe the manas and transmit information to it, while the manas's function is more prominent and greater than usual. Therefore, this is the optimal moment to influence, persuade, and perfume the manas, and to transform the manas.

The contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) for eradicating the view of self is also best carried out in this state: there is meditation, there is the mind consciousness, the manas's force of function is great, and its susceptibility to influence is also great. In this way, the concept that the five aggregates are not the self can be transmitted and instilled into the manas, allowing the manas to acknowledge and accept it.