Comparing the Speculation of Learned Theories Has Nothing to Do with Realization

Question: Take scratching an itch as an example. When the sense faculty and the sense object come into contact, if mental attention (manaskāra) arises, consciousness will arise (here, the mental faculty (manas) attends first; in some cases, the mental faculty attends afterward). At this moment, the mental faculty is directing the operation of the body consciousness. I then thought: the seventh and eighth consciousnesses depend on each other (the eighth consciousness relies on nine conditions). Since the mental faculty has appeared, the eighth consciousness should be nearby. Therefore, it should be that at the moment when the sense faculty and sense object come into contact and the mental faculty attends, the eighth consciousness manifests the body consciousness (the third transformative power). Then the mental faculty directs the body consciousness to perform the action of scratching the itch. Regarding the existence of the eighth consciousness in this passage, is it my inverted delusion, or is it merely a problem-solving approach, still far from realizing the eighth consciousness?

Answer: At this moment, you have neither directly observed the operation of the mental faculty nor directly observed the operation of the eighth consciousness. Therefore, what you have described is not factual reality. Instead, you are comparing, contemplating, speculating, inferring, and guessing based on the theoretical knowledge you have learned. These are all non-conclusive states (non-pramāṇa), lacking direct perception (pratyakṣa). Consequently, none of it can be taken as truth. Those without meditative concentration (dhyāna) study the Dharma in this way: their mental consciousness functions vigorously and prematurely, essentially amounting to speculation. Even if all the dharmas are speculated correctly, it remains mere speculation and cannot be counted as valid realization.

I have encountered many people in this state of Dharma study. They appear quite intelligent, capable of identifying the crux and focal points of a problem, and then take shortcuts by analyzing, synthesizing, organizing, and guessing with their mental consciousness. However, doing so obstructs their own path of practice and hinders genuine cultivation and realization. The result is that they outsmart themselves. Moreover, many mistake such conjecture and speculation for actual realization, proclaiming everywhere that they have attained enlightenment or become sages. Yet, this still belongs to the preliminary stage of learning. Meditative concentration has not yet arisen; precepts, concentration, and wisdom (śīla, samādhi, prajñā), the six pāramitās of a bodhisattva, and even the Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment have not been cultivated. The causes, conditions, and prerequisites for realization are still far from being fulfilled. In the Dharma-ending Age (mòfǎ shíqī), sentient beings have meager merit, cannot cultivate meditative concentration, cannot uphold the precepts, and are unwilling to cultivate blessings. They can only engage in dry wisdom (gānhuì), and it is precisely this dry wisdom that most obstructs the path and causes delay, often blocking the gate to enlightenment.