The State of Non-Arising of a Single Thought

When no thought arises, there is no isolated consciousness. When isolated consciousness exists, there must be thought, for thought is the thought of isolated consciousness. The five concomitant consciousnesses are merely awareness, discernment, and discrimination. When the five concomitant consciousnesses remain in a state of discernment and awareness without engaging in discrimination, that is the state of no thought arising. At this point, the knowing function of the manas becomes more distinctly prominent. The manas possesses awareness and also harbors thoughts, but the consciousness is unclear about them. This is also a state of meditative concentration, where the mind is neither disordered nor complex, with few matters and simplicity.

When no thought arises, the consciousness ceases to produce thoughts, but the manas does not—the thoughts of the manas generally continue unbroken. For example, during a state of no thought, one might suddenly think of something, immediately rise, and go out to attend to it. This is the result of the manas shifting thoughts while the consciousness is not generating thoughts.

How does this state arise? It is also facilitated by the manas making the decisive choice. When the manas does not cling or seek to discriminate phenomena, the consciousness can only obey and remain quiet in its existence and operation. This occurs when the manas has no particular intentions, no conspicuous thoughts. If the manas has intentions, it will impel the consciousness to act and realize its ideas. If the manas is preoccupied with other phenomena, the consciousness will inevitably become distracted to handle them, leading not to tranquility but to turbulence and busyness. In such instability, meditative concentration cannot be maintained.