Commentary on The Sutra of the Compendium of Fathers and Sons (212)

The Buddha's Seventh Consciousness Also Possesses the Quality of Equality

The Buddha's seventh consciousness also possesses the quality of equality. It regards all sentient beings as fundamentally equal, knowing that although their appearances are different and unequal, their essential nature is identical—all possess the Tathagatagarbha nature. The Buddha perceives that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature, which is inherently equal and without distinction; the Buddha does not observe external appearances. Therefore, the Buddha does not discriminate between good and evil people, nor does He save only the good while forsaking the evil. The Buddha harbors no such unequal mind; as long as conditions ripen, He saves all beings equally. The minds of ordinary beings are unequal; they can only observe the external appearances of others and fail to see the inner Buddha-nature that is fundamentally equal. Since beginningless kalpas, they have become accustomed to clinging to appearances, making it second nature, unaware that even within differing appearances lies an undifferentiated nature. However, Bodhisattvas at the First Ground, because their sixth and seventh consciousnesses have initially transformed into wisdom, have transformed the seventh consciousness into a portion of the Wisdom of Universal Equality. In viewing all mundane phenomena, they know that their essential substance is all Tathagatagarbha; thus, their minds also begin to possess the quality of equality.