If One Cannot Distinguish True Consciousness from False Consciousness, One Cannot Attain Enlightenment.

The manas governs and encompasses the six consciousnesses operating together upon form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects; one could say this is the combined functioning of the eight consciousnesses, in which both the true mind and the deluded mind are present—lacking even one, no dharma could arise or operate. Therefore, some people say they have become enlightened with regard to a certain dharma, but in the operation of this dharma both the true consciousness and the deluded consciousnesses are present; whether what they realized is the true mind, or the deluded mind, or the combined entity of true and deluded—this extremely crucial point being unclear, there is no difference between what they call enlightenment and non-enlightenment.

Some people will say, "I know that the eighth consciousness exists in this dharma, so I am enlightened." But the seven consciousnesses also exist in this dharma; if there were only the eighth consciousness without the seven consciousnesses, no dharma could exist at all—how could it continue to operate? To forcibly attribute the functions and roles of the seven consciousnesses to the eighth consciousness—what is realized is nothing but the combined entity of the eight consciousnesses. What kind of enlightenment is that supposed to be?