The Principle of Eradicating Self-View to Prevent Falling into the Three Evil Realms

After attaining the first fruition by realizing the cessation of self-view, one will no longer fall into the three evil paths. Why is this so? Because their mind has transformed; their mind no longer corresponds to the karmic actions of the three evil paths, and thus they will not commit the karmic actions leading to the three evil paths, nor will they suffer in the three evil paths again. When the mind realizes the absence of self, it becomes empty. A mind that is empty cannot possibly create the karmic actions leading to the three evil paths. What are the karmic actions of the three evil paths? They are actions that violate the five precepts and the ten wholesome deeds. Only by upholding the five precepts can one obtain a human body and avoid the bodies of beings in the three evil paths; only by upholding the ten wholesome deeds can one obtain the bodies of humans and devas and avoid the bodies of beings in the three evil paths. Those who realize the fruition of cessation of self-view will inevitably have mental activities corresponding to the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, thereby avoiding the karmic consequences and bodies of the three evil paths.

Therefore, which mind is this that realizes the cessation of self-view, corresponds to the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, and does not correspond to the karmic actions of the three evil paths? The consciousness (vijñāna) is certainly such a mind, but the most crucial mind is undoubtedly the mental faculty (manas). Moreover, the mental faculty is a continuous mind without interruption. Only after the cessation of self-view can the mental faculty uninterruptedly possess the combined path merit of vipassanā (insight) and śamatha (calm abiding). Whether asleep, unconscious, dead, or in the intermediate state (bardo) at any time, the merit of cessation of self-view remains with them. They will then take rebirth, transmigrate, and enter the womb based on this merit. Thus, whatever mental activities and karmas the mental faculty possesses, they will obtain a corresponding womb-body. To avoid falling into the three evil paths, it is necessary for the mental faculty to realize the cessation of self-view and possess all merits. The wisdom gained from hearing the Dharma, the wisdom of reasoning, the wisdom of conjecture, and the wisdom of emotional understanding through consciousness alone absolutely cannot guarantee the cessation of the manifestation of coarse afflictions, cannot guarantee the non-creation of karmic actions leading to the three evil paths, cannot guarantee non-violation of the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, and thus cannot guarantee not falling into the three evil paths at the end of life.