The Arising and Application of the Original Mind: The Distinction Between Defiled and Pure

We use it daily without realizing it; the original mind arises and functions at every moment, yet sentient beings, due to ignorance, fail to recognize this, let alone understand how it operates. The original mind is constantly in use. It knows how to function, how to give rise to all phenomena, and it operates according to its own inherent laws to perform corresponding functions. There is no need for us to manipulate or control it. In fact, we cannot manipulate it at all, for we have no hand in its operating principles. However, during the stage of an ordinary being, our original mind currently assists us in creating defiled karmic actions, engaging in base undertakings, and frequently committing unwholesome deeds, yet it never complains about any of this.

In contrast, the Buddha’s original mind functions supremely well, reaching the ultimate state of perfection without the slightest flaw, operating limitlessly and boundlessly. The purer our seventh consciousness becomes, the better the original mind functions; the more defiled the seventh consciousness is, the worse the original mind functions. Since this original mind is constantly in use, we should strive to discover it, to understand precisely how it functions, how it can be used more effectively, more perfectly, and more ultimately, and how we can achieve the same level of functioning as all Buddhas and World-Honored Ones. This is the goal we have pursued throughout countless eons.