Twofold Equality of Awakened Nature

The awareness of equality is divided into the innate awareness of Tathagatagarbha and the cultivated awareness acquired later. How to distinguish them?

The innate awareness is the awareness of Tathagatagarbha. To comprehend the awareness of Tathagatagarbha, one must study the essence of Tathagatagarbha and then engage in meditation to realize Tathagatagarbha, thereby directly observing its essence firsthand. Particularly after perceiving the Buddha-nature, one will realize the wondrous awareness of Tathagatagarbha through all six sense faculties. Without clarifying the mind, attaining enlightenment, perceiving the nature, or discovering Tathagatagarbha, one cannot genuinely comprehend the awareness of Tathagatagarbha. Any perceived awareness would be merely analogous to that of Tathagatagarbha, not a firsthand realization.

The cultivated awareness acquired later refers to the awakening of the conscious mind, the seventh consciousness. The awakening of the conscious mind encompasses various contents and levels, including the awakening of the Hinayana, the Mahayana, and the Middle Vehicle; pre-enlightenment awakening and post-enlightenment awakening. All these represent relatively correct cognitions and understandings of all dharmas by the seventh consciousness, signifying a transformation from prior states.

Distinguishing and clarifying the two natures—the true mind and the deluded mind—brings understanding. Especially before discovering the true mind, all awakening undoubtedly belongs to the deluded mind, the seventh consciousness. After clarifying the mind and perceiving the nature, the conscious mind gradually takes refuge in the essence of true suchness, Tathagatagarbha, learning from and drawing closer to it. Simultaneously, the manas (the seventh consciousness) is influenced, gradually reducing its greed, hatred, delusion, selfishness, and inequality, while progressively increasing its quality of equality.