What Needs to Be Done to Break Through Ignorance?

When the Heart Sutra says there is no ignorance and also no ending of ignorance, that refers to the fact that the eighth consciousness has no ignorance; therefore the eighth consciousness need not cultivate, need not eradicate ignorance, need not sever afflictions, need not attain liberation, nor even attain buddhahood. The seven consciousnesses and the five aggregates cannot be like this: the seven consciousnesses and the five aggregates have ignorance, and thus they need to cultivate in order to eradicate ignorance. Only when ignorance has been completely eradicated can they attain purity, great freedom, and great liberation. In the process of eradicating ignorance, one needs to cultivate, needs to keep the precepts, needs meditative concentration (samādhi), needs to study prajñā wisdom, needs to investigate Chan and awaken to the Way, needs to sever afflictions, needs to attain realization, and needs to attain buddhahood.