When meditative concentration deepens, the function of the manas becomes prominent

Question: When meditative concentration deepens, does the breath become slow and short, with longer intervals between breaths? Also, recently while engaging in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and pondering the meaning of the Dharma, I often find that halfway through the contemplation there are no words or language, and I get stuck there, feeling somewhat disconnected from what was deliberated before.

Answer: As meditative concentration grows deeper and deeper, because the manas possesses concentration, it relaxes its control over the body and no longer controls the breath very much; it is no longer attached to the breath, so the breath becomes ever more subtle and gentle, the duration of each breath lengthens, and in between it seems as if the breath has stopped—this is mistakenly taken to mean the interval between breaths is short. Because the breath is so subtle, one mistakenly feels as if the breath is about to cease; in reality, the time needed for a single breath has lengthened and become extremely slow. The feeling is one of great slowness, great lightness, great depth. Only when it feels as if the breath is about to cease might one feel it is short. Only in the fourth dhyāna can the breath actually cease; before the fourth dhyāna there is still breathing—it is only that one may feel as if the breath is about to stop, with the interval in between stretched longer. At this time, deliberation also seems about to cease; deliberation becomes very slow, one feels very tired, and only by emptying the mind does one feel comfortable.

When deliberating within concentration and the concentration deepens, the manas is unwilling to engage with any dharma, so the mind consciousness operates extremely slowly; one feels the mind consciousness is about to cease and no longer wants words and language, finding them superfluous and tiresome. As the mental activities grow slower and slower, one becomes unwilling to think about problems, and wandering thoughts diminish; even with wandering thoughts, one feels tired. When the mind consciousness is no longer engaged in activity, the function of the manas stands out, because when the mind consciousness's deliberation is active, the manas's function is obscured. When concentration is deep, the manas's function becomes prominent, and one will notice that at this time there are no words or language in the mind. But when the mind consciousness has no words or language and the manas emerges, there is also no words or language. At this point, the function of the manas becomes very prominent and obvious.