Which Arises First: Mind or Dharma? Which Ceases First: Mind or Dharma? (Part III)

How are the seven consciousnesses of the mind generated? First, the manas (mind root) has existed since beginningless kalpas without cessation. It is the Tathagatagarbha that supplies it with consciousness seeds, sustaining the existence and functioning of manas. Without Tathagatagarbha, there would be no existence of manas. Manas carries the kleshas (afflictions) accumulated through countless lifetimes to the present and future lives. Therefore, the ignorance stored within manas is extremely profound, and its klesha defilements are extremely heavy. Only upon attaining the fourth fruition (Arhatship) can one eradicate the attachments of manas, eliminate the clinging to the three realms, gain the ability to extinguish all dharmas of the five-aggregate world, and enter Nirvana without residue. Thus, manas can be extinguished; it is impermanent and illusory, not a true, unchanging self.

Manas is also a consciousness. The consciousness seeds exist within Tathagatagarbha. When Tathagatagarbha outputs the consciousness seeds of manas, manas manifests and functions. The six consciousnesses, however, are born later. In each life, within each physical body, they are newly generated by Tathagatagarbha. Only when Tathagatagarbha outputs the seeds of the six consciousnesses can they manifest and function discriminatively. Because the six consciousnesses are born later, the defilements they receive are slight and easy to eradicate. The six consciousnesses are defiled by sensory objects and influenced by manas. Encountering good, they become good; encountering evil, they become evil. They easily turn according to the circumstances. Therefore, it is the six consciousnesses that are easily transformed through cultivation. Once transformed, they then influence and condition manas, causing manas to also transform. When this happens, our cultivation succeeds.

Returning to the initial question: Does the mind cease first, or do dharmas cease first? Does the mind arise first, or do dharmas arise first? From the above analysis, all dharmas are born from Tathagatagarbha, yet Tathagatagarbha itself is unborn. The seven consciousnesses are born when Tathagatagarbha outputs their consciousness seeds. The eight consciousness kings then interact with their corresponding mental factors (caittas), generating material form (rūpa). Thus, the answer is already clear: Without the eight consciousnesses, there is no material form, no objective realm. It is because the mind arises that all dharmas arise.

Then, regarding cessation: which ceases first? Tathagatagarbha does not cease. Objective realms cannot cease first. If objective realms ceased first while the seven consciousnesses still existed, who would be aware that the realms were gone? If there were no objective realms, the six consciousnesses could not exist and perform their discriminatory function; even if they existed, it would be meaningless. Why couldn't they exist? Because the production of the six consciousnesses depends on the contact (sparśa) between the six sense bases and the six sense objects; only then can Tathagatagarbha generate the six consciousnesses. Without objective realms, there is no contact; without contact, there is no birth of the six consciousnesses.

Therefore, it is not that dharmas cease first and then the mind ceases. Rather, the mind ceases first, and then dharmas cease. For example, if you quarreled with someone yesterday and are still thinking about it now, feeling upset, the quarrel itself is already past. Why does the mind still hold onto it? It’s because the mind has not ceased. If the mind had ceased—if you were unattached—you wouldn’t think about it. Or, if through cultivation you reach a state where the mind no differentiates and gives rise to afflictions, then at the very moment of the quarrel, the mind would be unattached, and the quarrel couldn’t happen. Without the mind, no realm arises.

From the perspective of manas: if through cultivation the grasping nature of manas ceases, so that it no longer clings to mental objects derived from the five sense objects, then the six consciousnesses will not cognize objective dharmas. That is the state of having no mind. Eyes see forms as if not seeing; ears hear sounds as if not hearing; the realms seem non-existent and cannot exert any influence. If manas is extinguished, then the six sense bases, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses are all extinguished. Nothing remains. So where would the realms be? To summarize: When the mind ceases, all dharmas cease.

The mind arises, and all dharmas arise; the mind ceases, and all dharmas cease. Cultivation is the cultivation of the mind. When the mind changes, everything changes.