How to Truly Realize the Eighth Consciousness

The Vimalakirti Sutra states: "The Dharma cannot be perceived by seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing. If one attempts to perceive it through seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing, then what is perceived is merely the seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing itself, not the seeking of the Dharma." What does this mean? The original meaning is that the eighth consciousness, this Dharma, cannot be seen or realized through the faculties of seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing. If you attempt to know it using the methods of seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing, then what you perceive can only be your own seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing—you will not perceive the eighth consciousness. Using the methods of seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing to know the eighth consciousness is not the way to realize the eighth consciousness; it is impossible to attain enlightenment this way.

The term "Dharma" in the original text refers to the fundamental essence of sentient beings, the eighth consciousness. This Dharma is fundamentally distinct from all other dharmas; it determines all dharmas. Since beginningless time, sentient beings have been lost, thus ceaselessly chasing after illusory dharmas and superficial branches, unaware of seeking the fundamental source. Only after knowing that there is a fundamental source do they understand to seek it, return to it, and revert to the original purity. How can one trace back to the fundamental source? Those who do not know how to seek will use the functions of seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing to search. The vast majority of people do this, and in the end, they may not even catch a glimpse of the eighth consciousness. Even if they perceive a shadow of it, it is useless—they still cannot return to the fundamental source.

What are seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing? They are the functional activities of the six consciousnesses: eye-seeing, ear-hearing, nose-smelling, tongue-tasting, body-touching, and mind-knowing. These are the ways the six consciousnesses perceive the objects of the six dusts (sensory fields). Using the method of perceiving the six dusts to seek and perceive the eighth consciousness is misguided because the eighth consciousness and the six dusts are vastly and fundamentally different. Perceiving the eighth consciousness should not be the same as perceiving the six dusts. Therefore, the Vimalakirti Sutra states: "If one attempts to perceive it through seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing, then what is perceived is merely the seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing itself, not the seeking of the Dharma." Ponder this statement deeply—it is particularly important. If the method is wrong, the goal cannot be reached, and the objective cannot be achieved.

The meaning of the scripture clearly indicates: Perceiving the eighth consciousness is not the functional activity of the six consciousnesses' seeing, hearing, sensing, or knowing. Then what function is it? Who perceives the eighth consciousness? Here, the functional activity of the mental consciousness is explicitly negated—it is not perceived using the mental consciousness in that way. What functions does the mental consciousness possess? Reasoning, thinking, analyzing, imagining, organizing, summarizing, comparing, and so forth. This means that using these functions to perceive the eighth consciousness will never reveal the essence of the eighth consciousness. If one truly believes they have perceived it, what they perceive can only be a shadow or a substitute. If someone uses the mental consciousness to seek and find the eighth consciousness, believing they have realized the mind, attained enlightenment, or achieved realization, that is a profound misunderstanding, which Vimalakirti Bodhisattva would not approve. If one insists on what the Bodhisattva does not approve, then the consequences are their own responsibility, provided they can bear them.

Therefore, ultimately, the realization methods of the patriarchs are genuine and true—neither deceiving oneself nor deceiving others, and at the very least, not disgracing Buddhism, allowing one's conscience to be at peace. As the saying goes, if the master, the fundamental mind, does not attain realization, what use are the actions of the mental consciousness, a mere subordinate tool? If the master has not spoken, nothing said counts. Therefore, to realize any Dharma, including worldly dharmas, the master, the fundamental mind, must personally realize it, see it with its own eyes—only then is it called direct realization. Only then can there be functional benefit, only then can all illusory dharmas be transformed, only then can one be utterly complete and thorough, only then is it true and real.