The Meaning of Defilement and Purity

Discrimination is consciousness; non-discrimination is wisdom. Relying on consciousness, there is defilement; relying on wisdom, there is purity. The defiled has birth and death; the pure has no dharmas and no buddhas. The meaning of this is: that which can discriminate the myriad worldly dharmas and the six sense objects is the deluded mind of the seventh consciousness; that which cannot discriminate what the six supramundane sense objects are is the wisdom mind, the eighth consciousness. If one relies on the nature of the seventh consciousness, it is a defiled mind that is not pure; only if one relies on the nature of the wise eighth consciousness can one gradually become pure. The defiled consciousness-mind transmigrates through birth and death and suffers the afflictions of birth and death; within the pure mind there are no dharmas, nor are there any buddhas.