The Trap of Inertial Space

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Changren, a monastic who resides and practises at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. In this discussion, recorded on December 13, 2022, Venerable Changren reflects on the nature of 'inertial space' and its profound impact on the focus and spiritual progress of the fourfold assembly during Dharma talks.

Venerable Changren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. When I observe the fourfold assembly sitting in the lecture hall listening to the Dharma, I see that the space within each person's head is entirely unique. The way they experience drowsiness varies significantly from one individual to another. Some people are acutely aware that they have drifted into a state of drowsiness, while others have absolutely no perception of it at all. They truly believe that they are still wide awake, listening attentively to the Dharma talks.

The Hidden Spaces Within the Mind

The situation I just described happens quite frequently. Why is it that some people are completely unaware that they have become drowsy? There are many contributing factors at play. It could be that their consciousness has entered too deeply into a specific 'space' within their mind, or perhaps their physical sensitivity is not sharp enough to detect the shift. In other cases, it is simply a matter of deep-seated habits that prevent them from noticing the change. Every person's situation is different, and the reasons for this mental drifting are as varied as the individuals themselves.

When a person sits down to listen to the Dharma, they naturally relax. With no other tasks at hand, they use their eyes and ears to focus on Practitioner Su as he delivers the Dharma talks. At the very beginning, they might be able to maintain focus for a short period, but the duration of this concentration varies depending on the individual's capacity. Gradually, the part of the head that is accustomed to 'thinking' begins to take over. It is a very natural process: while listening to the Dharma, the mind simultaneously begins to think, and before they know it, they have entered into a deep space of their own making.

The Mechanics of Drifting

This process of entering a space happens in stages. It might start at twenty percent, then progress to forty, sixty, and eventually eighty percent. By the time they reach this level, their consciousness has almost entirely retreated into this internal space. Only twenty percent of their awareness remains tethered to the reality of listening to Practitioner Su. At this stage, if Practitioner Su were to raise his voice slightly, strike the table, or call out their name, that remaining twenty percent of consciousness would allow them to snap back to reality immediately. They would be able to respond, though they would likely be startled. Their brain would have to rapidly reconnect with the physical space of the lecture hall before they could provide the appropriate reaction.

Breaking the Cycle of Inertia

The human body is incredibly prone to living life according to 'inertia.' Just as people living in the same community often fall into habitual patterns of daily life, the human body itself possesses its own inertial habits and ways of acting. Even when one has stayed at the temple for a long time, one can easily develop a habitual mode of practice, eventually forming a rigid, inertial way of being.

I have observed this clearly: this 'inertia' makes it very easy for everyone to become fatigued and complacent, which in turn prevents them from making further progress. This 'inertia' contains vast amounts of space, and the consciousness can easily follow these habits, drifting into these internal realms at any moment. If you wish to remain clear and awake, you must try to change your own inertia. Do not allow your body to become comfortable and complacent with the status quo. You must constantly adjust and challenge yourself; only then can you break through these barriers and advance further in your practice.

Namo Amituofo."