Eradicating the Imagined Nature of the Manas Leads to Attaining Buddhahood

Birth and death arise from the delusive discriminating nature of the manas (mental faculty). The manas' clinging to the self of person gives rise to the samskrta death-rebirth (birth and death with distinct intervals), leading to the continuous cycle of life after life, accompanied by coarse and subtle sufferings of birth and death. The manas' clinging to the self of dharmas gives rise to the asamskrta death-rebirth (subtle, transformative birth and death), causing the subtle and enduring phenomena of birth and death to remain unexhausted, still accompanied by the subtle afflictions, karmic actions, and suffering arising from ignorance. Therefore, only when the manas severs the clinging to the self of person can it end and eliminate the samskrta death-rebirth, equivalent to the fourth-stage Arhat severing attachment to the five aggregates and eighteen elements. Only when the manas severs the clinging to the self of dharmas can it eradicate the asamskrta death-rebirth and ultimately attain Buddhahood.

Why is this so? Because all dharmas are grasped and clung to by the manas. Where there is clinging, there is bondage; where there is grasping, there is entanglement. Thus, ignorance gives rise to birth and death. Because the manas grasps the functions of the five aggregates as "self," grasps the eighteen elements as "self" and "mine," grasps the three realms of existence, and clings to them with greed and attachment, it becomes bound by the five aggregates, bound by the eighteen elements, bound by the three realms of existence, and cannot escape the suffering of the three realms. Only by enabling the manas to sever the view of self regarding the five aggregates and eighteen elements can it eliminate the clinging to them, thereby eradicating the greed and attachment to the three realms of existence, release the bonds, and attain temporary liberation.

Due to the ignorance of the manas, it does not know the true reality of the Dharma Realm, does not realize the Tathagatagarbha, and does not know the seed functions of the Tathagatagarbha. It greedily clings to all dharmas manifested by the Tathagatagarbha as "self" and "mine," clinging without relinquishment, thus creating bondage by dharmas. The asamskrta death-rebirth remains unremoved, preventing great liberation. Only by enabling the manas to gradually recognize the true facts, realizing that all dharmas are the functions of the Tathagatagarbha and belong solely to the Tathagatagarbha, without possessing the slightest bit of self, can the manas let go of its attachments, sever all love for dharmas, exhaust all ignorance, release all entanglements, attain ultimate liberation, and restore its original nature.

Therefore, it is said that learning and practicing Buddhism is precisely to exhaust the ignorance of the manas, realize the selflessness of all dharmas, eliminate the greed and clinging of the manas, transform and eradicate the delusive discriminating nature of the manas. Only then can the shackles of birth and death be completely removed, attaining freedom from birth and death, mastery over dharmas, becoming the Great Dharma King, the Honored One of the Three Realms.