Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 34 (Part 72)

Original text: Ultimately, one will never seek to take non-Buddhist paths as one's teacher. Nor will one regard them as a field of merit. Regarding other śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and the like, one will never look up to their words or countenance, nor value what they say or seek the Dharma from their mouths. Only by oneself does one see the Dharma, attain the Dharma, know the Dharma, and realize the Dharma. Penetrating to the fundamental source of the Dharma, one transcends all doubts, not through external conditions. The ability to realize the source of the Dharma arises from the guidance of the World-Honored One, the virtuous friend; it is not derived from any source other than the World-Honored One. The practitioner attains fearlessness in all dharmas. Ultimately, one will never falsely grasp worldly auspicious signs as purity. One will never undergo an eighth rebirth. Fully perfecting the four kinds of verified purity, such a practitioner, up until the stage of the Supreme Mundane Dharmas, is called one with conviction-resolved attention (adhimokṣa-manaskāra).

Explanation: Ultimately, one will never take refuge in non-Buddhist paths as teachers, nor acknowledge them as a field of merit. Regarding other śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and so forth, one will never look up to their countenance, heed their expressions, value their words, or receive the Dharma from their mouths. Only by oneself does one independently see the Dharma and attain the Dharma. Independently seeing the Dharma and attaining the Dharma, one realizes the fundamental source (root) of the Dharma, resolves all doubts, and this is not due to external causes and conditions. The ability to realize the source of the Dharma is due to the guidance of the World-Honored One, the virtuous friend; it is not derived from any source other than the World-Honored One. The practitioner is fearless in all dharmas. Ultimately, one will never falsely grasp various worldly auspicious signs and omens as being pure. One will never again undergo an eighth rebirth within the three realms of existence. Fully perfecting the four kinds of verified purity-wisdom, such a practitioner, up until the cultivation reaches the Supreme Mundane Dharmas, is all called conviction-resolved attention.

After attaining the direct realization of the Four Wisdoms, the practitioner cultivates the Four Applications of Mindfulness. The contemplative practice prior to the Supreme Mundane Dharmas, the fourth application, is all called conviction-resolved attention. This means that the intellectual investigation and inquiry prior to direct experiential realization should all be called conviction in and comprehension of the Dharma. Only after firm conviction can one directly observe and realize it, which is called experiential realization. Experiential realization occurs at the stage of the First Fruition (Srotāpanna) and above. Conviction-resolved attention occurs during the stage preliminary to the First Fruition (Srotāpannapratipannaka) or within the stage of the Supreme Mundane Dharmas of the Four Applications. Only after the Four Applications can one experientially realize the Path of Seeing. Therefore, one should accurately observe one's own wisdom: is it the wisdom of direct observation, conviction-resolved, or mere conjecture, inference, analysis, etc.? Understanding the level of one's own wisdom allows for proper planning of the next steps in practice.

Practitioners endowed with the direct realization of the Four Wisdoms never receive or know the Dharma from elsewhere. They do not take the words of others as the ultimate refuge. They all rely on their own direct observation to experientially realize. Seeing and attaining the Dharma can only be achieved through one's own power of investigation and contemplation; others cannot assist in this. What others point out or instruct cannot substitute for one's own direct observation. Doubts must be resolved by oneself through contemplation; what others say cannot dispel the doubts within one's own mind because it is not personally seen or verified. Some people try by all means to extract the fruits of practice, but the Dharma is such that whoever practices attains it. What is extracted cannot become one's own, nor can it yield the wisdom of seeing the Path (realization). With the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra as a guide, the principles of the Dharma become increasingly clear. As for the matter of realizing the fruits and understanding the mind, no one can deny it. Otherwise, one can go debate it with Bodhisattva Maitreya.