What Is Meant by Transforming Consciousness into Wisdom

The consciousness-nature of the conscious mind is characterized by ignorance, foolishness, affliction, obscuration, and attachment; its wisdom is shallow, and when it perceives dharmas it often falls into the marks of dharmas, lacking the wisdom of Consciousness-Only and failing to recognize the true face of dharma. After seeing one's true mind, one gradually attains meditative concentration (samādhi), eliminates afflictions, removes obscurations, and progressively passes through the tight barrier. While in nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), one has, at the end of life, the ability to enter nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa) yet chooses not to. Subsequently, one passes through the dream-like contemplation and studies Consciousness-Only, acquiring a portion of the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only. Perceiving dharmas, one knows their nature of Consciousness-Only and knows the substance of dharmas, no longer falling into worldly marks of dharmas; one's wisdom undergoes a qualitative leap. Then the sixth and seventh consciousnesses transform their consciousness into wisdom, entering the home of the Tathāgata and becoming true Buddhist sons of the Buddha, able to continue the lineage of the Buddha's seed and to propagate the Dharma on the Buddha's behalf in all directions.

The prerequisites for transforming consciousness into wisdom are: one must have realized the fruits, and moreover the third fruit or above; one must have meditative concentration, and moreover the first dhyāna or above; one must have seen the true mind and attained enlightenment, possessing not only the general-characteristic wisdom of the dharma realm but also posterior wisdom, being able to observe directly and minutely the operation of the tathāgatagarbha within the five aggregates; and one must also have a portion of the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only. Therefore, without meditative concentration, do not talk about realization, do not talk about wisdom, and even less talk about transforming consciousness into wisdom—at most one has dry wisdom that does not quench thirst.