Visualizing and Imagining the Eighth Consciousness Does Not Equate to Its Actual Realization

Some individuals who previously claimed to have realized the eighth consciousness have now changed their stance, stating that enlightenment is the realization of Suchness, not the realization of the eighth consciousness. Consider this: what was the nature of their so-called enlightenment in the first place? Whether one understands the relationship between the eighth consciousness and Suchness is one matter; more crucially, they themselves failed to comprehend what had truly occurred initially. Yet, they proceeded to posture as sages, even instructing others on realizing the eighth consciousness. Is this not an utterly foolish and ridiculous act? This clearly demonstrates that their initial claim of realizing the eighth consciousness was purely a product of imagination and mental fabrication, not genuine realization. A truly realized Dharma, regardless of changing circumstances, cannot later be negated, nor can it become ambiguous, vague, or something one dares neither to affirm nor deny, causing agonizing internal conflict. Things conjured by mental fabrication and logical deduction will waver at the slightest disturbance, making one hesitant to stand by their views; even if one persists, it may still be nothing more than deduction.

The current discourse surrounding the eighth consciousness is utterly chaotic and impossible to clarify. It is like a pond where the water is turbid from the bottom all the way to the surface. Previously, the sediment at the bottom was murky while the surface remained clear, but now it is not so; from bottom to surface, everything is muddied. Why is this? It stems from impatience for quick success and instant benefits, a desire for great vanity without paying the necessary price. Vanity inflates, truth and falsehood become indistinguishable, and all effort goes into building castles in the air. Therefore, without diligent cultivation starting from the foundational practices, without progressing step by step on the path, one ends up scorning the basic Dharma while failing to realize the higher Dharma. Achieving neither high nor low, what result can be expected at the moment of death? The most extreme proponents of mentally fabricated enlightenment claim that a newly enlightened ground-level bodhisattva can observe that all phenomena are merely the functional activities of the seeds of the eighth consciousness—a realization supposedly requiring the attainment of several higher bodhisattva grounds. This scale of mental fabrication is astonishingly vast, reaching a height unattainable by anyone, leaving even reincarnated patriarchs and great masters helpless.

Those who stir the pond water perform a great meritorious deed, for they bring the hidden monsters lurking at the bottom up to the surface. This allows everyone to recognize what kind of monsters were submerged, secretly harming visitors from the depths. If we wait until future lifetimes to recognize these monsters, it will be too late; moreover, future lifetimes may not even provide the opportunity to recognize them. The earlier the monsters reveal themselves and are eliminated, the earlier their pernicious influence is recognized, leading to earlier awakening and less harm inflicted.