Two Meanings of “One Should Give Rise to a Mind That Does Not Abide in Anything”

"Abiding nowhere, give rise to the mind" has two meanings: The first, most fundamental meaning is that our true suchness self-nature, the eighth consciousness, does not abide in any dharma yet constantly gives rise to the mind outwardly. This "giving rise to the mind" means that He can give birth to the myriad dharmas and transform the myriad dharmas; this is the nature of true suchness. The second meaning is that our deluded mind (the seven consciousnesses) should also learn from the eighth consciousness, becoming like Him—abiding in no dharma yet able to operate upon all dharmas. When the five-aggregate body operates, when cultivating and studying in worldly dharmas and Buddhadharma, we should likewise, like the eighth consciousness, not abide in any dharma.

If we want our deluded mind and five aggregates to give rise to the mind while abiding nowhere, like the nature of the eighth consciousness, we should, through permeation with the dharma of the Mahāyāna true suchness nature, the eighth consciousness, realize the eighth consciousness. Thereafter we can gradually observe the pure nature of the eighth consciousness, and only then can our five aggregates slowly draw close to the eighth consciousness, becoming like Him in performing all worldly dharmas and supramundane dharmas. When creating conditioned dharmas, we do not abide in the marks of any dharma, and we do not cling to the marks of any dharma while practicing the bodhisattva path.

To attribute the marks of all dharmas to the true suchness self-nature, the eighth consciousness, requires permeation in every aspect before enlightenment. Before realization, that is only a semblance of abiding, a semblance of learning from the eighth consciousness. In fact, before realization, your mind cannot possibly rely on the nature of the eighth consciousness to create worldly conditioned dharmas. Before enlightenment it is permeation; only after enlightenment can one observe the operation of the eighth consciousness as it truly is, through direct perception. And while observing, one simultaneously learns from Him and draws close to Him; the mental activities slowly transform, and only in the end can one achieve the mind abiding nowhere while giving rise to the mind. "Giving rise to the mind" means that as soon as the mind of the seven consciousnesses arises, it must operate within the worldly dharmas of the three realms.

The fundamental mind, the eighth consciousness, also gives rise to the mind. The so-called giving rise to the mind means that He constantly gives birth to the conditioned dharmas of the three realms; all dharmas of the three-realm world are produced by the eighth consciousness. Therefore the nature of the eighth consciousness has mental activities. The five universal mental factors are the mental activities of the eighth consciousness; He employs the five universal mental factors to extensively create all worldly dharma-marks, yet He does not abide in any worldly dharma-marks—this is the meaning of "abiding nowhere, give rise to the mind." Here there is the fundamental meaning and also the worldly meaning; both meanings exist. If one only spoke of the meaning concerning the eighth consciousness, ordinary people could not understand it, so both meanings must be explained, and thus the meaning is complete.