Why Are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Not Tainted by Evil?

If sentient beings encounter adverse conditions in life and become defiled, manifesting afflictions, this indicates that their manas (the mental faculty) resonates with afflictions and has not severed them. Thus, when encountering conditions, they become defiled and manifest unwholesome karma. The Buddhas, through cultivation spanning three great asamkhyeya-kalpas, have long since eradicated all afflictions and defilements such as greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, doubt, and wrong views, along with all habitual tendencies of afflictions, leaving no residual habits. When they come to the evil world of the five impurities and interact with afflicted sentient beings, they are fundamentally unaffected by even the slightest defilement or contamination from the afflictions of sentient beings. Their minds remain eternally pure and undefiled, because Buddhas severed afflictions at the First Bhumi, and their minds were already free from defilement, though some residual habitual tendencies of afflictions remained unexhausted. The afflictions severed beginning at the First Bhumi are those eradicated in both the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Because the seventh consciousness severs afflictions, it transforms consciousness into wisdom, attaining the Wisdom of Equality, perceiving all dharmas as equal and non-dual, without distinction between self and others; thus, there is no selfishness, and they treat people and matters equally.

Because the manas, the seventh consciousness, has severed afflictions, no matter where it is reborn in future lives, the manas will be free from afflictions and cannot be defiled. However, when the habitual tendencies of afflictions have not been severed, these tendencies may occasionally manifest; this is unavoidable, and the sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna) may occasionally be influenced by the environment. Although the sixth consciousness can be influenced, manifesting some afflictions, these are quickly eliminated, neither persistent nor firm, and they do not influence or defile the manas. Because the manas cannot be defiled and itself lacks afflictions, the afflictions of the sixth consciousness are easily severed. Otherwise, if the sixth consciousness were dominated by the manas, afflictions would not be easy to eradicate. Bodhisattvas at the Eighth Bhumi and above will not have their sixth consciousness defiled or manifest afflictions. The consciousnesses of Buddhas are even more immune to the slightest defilement or contamination; neither afflictions nor habitual tendencies arise. They see form without greed, see wealth without attachment, do not seek power or status, are free from hatred and anger, free from irritation and agitation; their minds are soft, harmonious, tranquil, and serene.

In contrast, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses of ordinary sentient beings are fully endowed with all afflictions. When encountering conditions, they become defiled, often conforming to the environment with little resistance. Seeing form, they love; seeing wealth, they covet; they crave power, pursue fame and profit. When adverse conditions arise, hatred and anger constantly accompany their minds, and selfishness and ego-attachment are extremely heavy. This shows that the manas of ordinary sentient beings is fully endowed with all afflictions—greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, doubt, and wrong views. The sixth consciousness follows the manas, so afflictions also frequently manifest. When encountering defiling conditions, the sixth consciousness is easily influenced. Because the manas connects the past, present, and future lives and is fully endowed with all afflictions, sentient beings continuously revolve in the cycle of birth and death. Upon taking birth in the intermediate state (bardo) or in a future life, they are fully endowed with all afflictions, identical to the previous life, perpetuating afflictions life after life.

However, apart from the afflictions of self-view, self-attachment, self-conceit, and self-delusion, which constantly and continuously accompany the manas without pause, other afflictions do not perpetually accompany the manas. Instead, they manifest only when encountering conditions, creating unwholesome karma, storing karmic seeds, thereby perpetuating the cycle of birth and death in future lives.