The Standard of Mental Liberation

When the first dhyana manifests, no matter what external circumstances arise or how others treat you, afflictions within the mind do not arise. Although sadness may occasionally surface, it remains superficial and cannot penetrate the depths of the heart. At that time, the mind is like an impenetrable fortress—neither enters nor exits. External insults cannot truly touch the innermost heart, as the mind possesses a protective layer. This state is called "afflictions do not invade the mind, and the mind does not give rise to afflictions." This is the state described in the Agamas: "the mind is at ease, the mind attains liberation."

Attaining this stage brings benefit throughout countless lifetimes. Therefore, prior to the second fruition (sakadagami), the mind is neither at ease nor liberated, because it remains bound to the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion. Mental liberation primarily involves the mind base (manas). Only when the mind base is fully endowed with greed, hatred, and delusion does it impel the six consciousnesses to create karmic actions based on these afflictions. The mental consciousness (mano-vijnana) is also liberated, as are the first five consciousnesses: the eye consciousness does not crave forms, and the five consciousnesses do not crave sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or tactile sensations. Once the seventh consciousness, the mind base, eradicates the view of self, it attains a portion of the merit and benefit of liberation. After eradicating self-attachment, it is completely liberated from the bonds of the mundane dharmas of the triple realm and gains the ability to extinguish itself. This is the state of the third and fourth fruition arhats (anagami and arahant), who possess the capability to liberate themselves from the triple realm upon death. True mental liberation is achieved at the fourth fruition (arahant), where conceit is utterly extinguished, the five higher fetters are severed, and one is capable of self-verification that there will be no further rebirth.