When will one be able to refrain from grasping at marks and discrimination?

Only after attaining the first fruit and eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) can one break through the notions of self, person, sentient being, and life span; yet one still cannot avoid grasping at and discriminating the marks of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) of sentient beings. Even after enlightenment, refraining from grasping at marks is extremely difficult—especially after meditative concentration (samādhi) has regressed, for in the vast majority of moments one still must grasp at marks and discriminate. Bodhisattvas before the eighth bhūmi simply cannot achieve complete non-grasping and non-discrimination of marks. Ordinary beings cannot withstand even the smallest test; no matter how they train themselves not to attach to or grasp at marks, ordinary beings will inevitably revolve within marks. Although ordinary beings often say with their own mouths that they should not grasp at marks and discriminate, every single minute they are grasping at marks and discriminating—they simply cannot manage not to grasp at marks or discriminate. 

Because their meditative concentration and wisdom realization are severely insufficient, wanting to refrain from grasping at marks and discriminating is simply impossible. The mind consciousness may forcibly suppress it for one minute, perhaps, but by two minutes it can no longer hold out. Not grasping at perceptions and discriminations is extremely, extremely difficult to accomplish. Thinking about it is easy, and talking about it is easy too, but to actually accomplish it, one must realize that all marks are unreal. One can only accomplish as much as one has realized; thinking is useless, and verbal claims are even more useless. Even if an ordinary being cultivates for another immeasurable kalpa, it is hard to say to what degree they could refrain from grasping at marks and discriminating. Arhats likewise cannot achieve complete non-grasping and non-discrimination of marks, because arhats have not realized the Mahāyāna Dharma, and therefore they have no choice but to grasp at marks and discriminate. If arhats could refrain from grasping at marks and discriminating, they would not grasp at the suffering of the Sahā world and single-mindedly seek to escape the realms of the Sahā world to attain Nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa).