The Equality Wisdom of the Seventh Consciousness, the Manas

The "equality nature" of the seventh consciousness at the initial mind of supreme joy means that upon entering the mind of the first bhūmi, the Ground of Supreme Joy, the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom and attains a portion of the wisdom of equality (samatā-jñāna). After the seventh consciousness, through cultivating the bodhisattva's six pāramitās, sees the mind and attains enlightenment, it possesses prajñā wisdom; as prajñā wisdom grows, it attains the wisdom of subsequent realization; through cultivating the path it initiates the first dhyāna, eradicates afflictions, successively passes through the barrier of mirage-like appearances and the barrier of dream-like appearances, and after realizing nirvāṇa with remainder, it cultivates and immerses itself in Yogācāra, attaining a portion of the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only, and enters the first bhūmi. At that point, the sixth consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, attaining the initial portion of the wisdom of wonderful observation (pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna), and the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, attaining the initial portion of the wisdom of equality. These two consciousnesses must undergo three transformations of consciousness into wisdom on the way to buddhahood; when the defilement of ignorance is completely eradicated and everything becomes illumination, the eighth consciousness and the five consciousnesses then respectively transform into the great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna) and the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done (kṛtyānuṣṭhāna-jñāna), perfecting the buddha path.

A first-bhūmi bodhisattva has eradicated the nature of ordinary beings (pṛthagjana), entered the household of the Tathāgata, and become a true son of the Buddha. This is an enormous transformation in the course of studying Buddhism and cultivating the path, highly emblematic, and the mind experiences supreme joy; hence it is called the Ground of Supreme Joy (pramuditā-bhūmi).

The wisdom of equality of the seventh consciousness is transformed and brought forth during the cultivation process of the three stages of worthy ones (śrāvaka-virtuous stages) after seeing the mind, and it is the hallmark of successfully accomplishing the transformation of the basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) of the eighth consciousness. The seventh consciousness realizes the equality of the eighth consciousness, constantly observing that although all sentient beings have different karmic retributions, the cause of those retributions—the eighth consciousness—is equal. In this way, the marks of person, self, sentient being, and life span are all broken through, and one truly realizes that in essence all sentient beings are equal and will all ultimately become buddhas. The mind of the seventh consciousness also gradually becomes equal in nature; after eradicating afflictions and transforming consciousness into wisdom, one enters the first bhūmi.

Therefore, at the very moment of first seeing the mind, it must be that the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness both see the mind simultaneously; only then can one possess prajñā wisdom, break through the four marks, eradicate afflictions, pass through the three barriers of the Chan school, realize the barrier of mirage-like appearances and the barrier of dream-like appearances, eradicate the nature of ordinary beings, attain the first-bhūmi bodhisattva's portion of the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only, realize the true suchness nature of all dharmas, realize a portion of the one true dharmadhātu, and ultimately become a buddha.

The seventh consciousness of an arhat does not have the wisdom of equality, because an arhat has not seen the mind and attained enlightenment, and does not possess prajñā wisdom or consciousness-only wisdom. However, there is some degree of equality, but the standpoint of this equality differs from that of a first-bhūmi bodhisattva. An arhat sees all sentient beings as empty and selfless, has eradicated all afflictions in the mind, and has broken through the four marks; from this standpoint of emptiness, the seventh consciousness sees all sentient beings as equal, but it cannot see the equality of all dharmas, does not know that all dharmas are the eighth consciousness, are all the nature of true suchness, are all the one true dharmadhātu; therefore it does not have the wisdom of equality.

Looking at the entire course of the arhat's cultivation of the path, the wisdom of the pure dharma eye (dharma-eye purity) from the first fruit to the fourth fruit is realized simultaneously by both the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness; otherwise one could not eradicate afflictions, enter nirvāṇa with remainder and nirvāṇa without remainder, nor break through the four marks. If the seventh consciousness, the manas, cannot eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), then it cannot eradicate the afflictions of ignorance, birth and death cannot be ended, the weariness of the three realms cannot be escaped, saṃsāra cannot be stopped, suffering cannot be eradicated, and cultivating the path would be meaningless.