What Constitutes a Spiritual Practice That Ensures Merit Is Not Wasted?

In elderly individuals, due to brain atrophy, the subtle sense faculty weakens, affecting the functions of the six consciousnesses. What are the specific impacts? For example, when meeting a new person, they may remember them initially but forget shortly afterward; this indicates a decline in the recollection function of the mental consciousness. Is the function of the manas affected? The intrinsic function of the manas itself remains unaffected, but its cooperative functions with the six consciousnesses are influenced by the six consciousnesses, not by the brain or the subtle sense faculty. This is because when the elderly person sees that individual, the impression fails to penetrate the manas, remaining only at the level of mental consciousness, resulting in subsequent forgetfulness.

However, an elderly person may have a profound impression and deep memory of a close relative, say relative A, and may even feel deep concern for them. Nevertheless, sometimes when encountering A, they may clearly recognize A in their mind yet mistakenly call out the name of relative B while speaking about matters concerning A. This is a sign of mental confusion at the level of consciousness, while the manas itself remains unaffected. As a person ages, the function of the subtle sense faculty weakens, and mental consciousness becomes increasingly confused. Although the manas remains lucid, physical, verbal, and mental actions are all produced collectively by mental consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses, inevitably leading to various errors and obstacles.

To ensure that our merit is not wasted and our cultivation virtues are preserved, how should we practice Buddhism? We should not remain at the level of mental consciousness—merely understanding, contemplating, analyzing, reciting, and memorizing. Instead, we must diligently cultivate meditative concentration (dhyāna). Within this meditative concentration, we contemplate and deeply integrate the Dharma we have learned into the mind of the manas. Then, within that state of concentration, we allow the manas to deliberate, achieving direct experiential realization. Only by frequently engaging the manas can we develop genuine wisdom, enabling it to grow continuously, extend life after life, benefit us in each lifetime, increase with each rebirth, and ultimately culminate in the perfection of Buddhahood.