On the Transmutation of Consciousness into Wisdom

The Buddhabhūmi Sūtra states: There are five dharmas that encompass the ground of great enlightenment. They are: the pure dharma realm, the great perfect mirror wisdom, the wisdom of equality, the wondrous observing wisdom, and the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done. What is the relationship between the pure dharma realm and the subsequent four wisdoms?

After attaining Buddhahood, the four wisdoms are perfectly luminous. First, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses undergo the third transformation from consciousness to wisdom. The five sensory consciousnesses undergo the first and only transformation from consciousness to wisdom. The eighth consciousness undergoes the first and only transformation from consciousness to wisdom. The mental consciousness transforms into the wondrous observing wisdom. The seventh consciousness transforms into the wisdom of equality. The five sensory consciousnesses transform into the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done. The eighth consciousness transforms into the great perfect mirror wisdom. First, the mental consciousness transforms from consciousness to wisdom, changing from an originally defiled mind afflicted by ignorance and kleshas to the wondrous observing wisdom free from the obscurations of afflictions. Where there are afflictions and defilements, there are obscurations, which hinder the arising of wisdom; the power of observation becomes coarse and unsubtle, and wisdom remains shallow.

If the mental consciousness’s power of observation is shallow and unsubtle, it cannot convey the profound true reality of all dharmas to the mental faculty (manas) for its realization. Consequently, the manas’s view of a self in dharmas cannot be eradicated. Where there is a sense of self within the mind, the wisdom of equality is absent. Therefore, only when the mental consciousness first eradicates afflictions and attains the wondrous observing wisdom can it enable the manas to eradicate afflictions, realize a certain degree of selflessness in dharmas, and thereby attain the wisdom of equality. This wisdom perceives sentient beings and oneself as equal and identical, and perceives equality and identity with the Buddha, seeing no distinction of high or low in dharmas.

When the sixth and seventh consciousnesses undergo the third transformation from consciousness to wisdom, the transformation becomes complete and ultimate; ignorance is utterly exhausted. The five sensory consciousnesses transform into the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done, which accomplishes all dharmas. The ignorance and defilements of the seventh consciousness stored within the eighth consciousness are completely and ultimately eradicated, transforming it into the great perfect mirror wisdom. At this point, the metamorphosis is complete, transforming a sentient being on the causal ground into a Buddha on the resultant ground.

Since there is no longer any seed of ignorance, defilement, or karma within the great perfect mirror wisdom, the entire mind-ground of the eight consciousnesses is supremely pure. All dharmadhātus born from this pure mind are pure: the six sense faculties, the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses, the buddha-lands, and the physical universe — all become pure in accordance with the pure mind, without the slightest defilement. “When the mind is pure, the buddha-land is pure.” This is the principle being explained.