How to Abandon Vijñāna and Utilize Indriya

Some say that the "root" in "abandoning consciousness to use the root" refers to the root nature of sentient beings, but it actually points to the manas (the seventh consciousness, the mental faculty). Root nature is also the functional aspect of consciousness; without consciousness, there can be no discussion of root nature. Wholesome roots and root nature generally refer to the innate wisdom of the seventh consciousness, the manas.

"Abandoning consciousness to use the root" is something ordinary people can employ during Chan (Zen) meditation. It involves relinquishing the six consciousnesses, especially abandoning the emotional thoughts, intellectual understanding, pondering, speculation, analysis, reasoning, comparison, and judgment of the mental consciousness (the sixth consciousness), and instead exclusively utilizing the contemplative nature of the manas. Only in this way can one realize the Way. After realizing the Way, subsequent cultivation also strives to use the manas as much as possible. Using the manas is direct and profound, manifesting as straightforwardness, uprightness, purity, innocence, and integrity. It accomplishes all tasks, fulfilling what is said, and sometimes even achieving things without necessarily speaking of them.

Without meditative concentration (dhyāna), it is difficult to use the manas. One relies entirely on the reasoning and intellectual understanding of the mental consciousness, which is easy but superficial. Understanding occurs much faster than realization, but it is ineffective. Without samadhi (deep meditative absorption), there is no liberation; birth and death remain unresolved. Once the mental consciousness ceases, its understanding becomes void. The deeper the meditative concentration, the more the manas is utilized, the greater its power, the more problems it can solve, the more samadhi one attains, the deeper the samadhi, the more penetrating and liberated the wisdom becomes, and the greater the power of liberation.