Only when the realms of the mind consciousness and the manas are in accord can one attain enlightenment.

A telescope can, in an instant, see towering mountains and vast seas dozens of kilometers away, yet to personally see and touch those mountains and seas, one must walk dozens of kilometers on one's own, arriving at the foot of the mountain and the shore of the sea, before one can see the mountains and seas with one's own eyes, touch them, and know their appearance and countenance. Only then can one say to others: "I have seen that mountain and that sea with my own eyes—how magnificent! My mind instantly opened up, and I was simply overjoyed." The state of meditative absorption (samādhi) is similar to this: the manas must personally arrive; only by leaving the telescope behind and seeing with one's own eyes is there the samādhi of the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā. If the manas does not arrive, that is seeing through a telescope—not true seeing, not unconditioned seeing, not naked seeing.

The mind consciousness is like a telescope: no matter how far the state it gazes upon, what it sees is not real; the state appears blurry and indistinct. What the manas sees is clear and thorough, penetrating to the very source of dharma. If the manas has not caught up and cannot see what the mind consciousness sees, then it is not seeing with one's own eyes, not personally arriving at the present state, not firsthand realization. Because what the mind consciousness sees is far from the state, its seeing is not real—like viewing through a layer of lens, with some obstruction; the scenery is neither detailed nor clear, being merely an outline. The details must await the manas to personally see before they can be discerned and their reasons known.

At the stage of an ordinary being, the mind consciousness has read some Buddhist sutras and knows of the Buddha's state, but if the manas does not know it, it is not firsthand realization of the Buddha's state. Such knowledge is extremely coarse, no different from not knowing at all. To personally realize the Buddha's state, to know it finely, deeply, and truly, one must cultivate for another three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas—that is, three immeasurable kalpas. There is no shortcut in between; all dharmas that should be cultivated must be cultivated, all dharmas that should be realized must be realized. Precepts, samādhi, and wisdom, the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment, the bodhisattva's six pāramitās and various practices—not one can be lacking. The entire intermediate process must be personally experienced; cutting corners and taking shortcuts is absolutely not allowed.

At the stage of an ordinary being, the mind consciousness has studied some dharmas and knows of the effortless practice (anābhoga-caryā) that an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva should possess—being able to act in accord with dharmas spontaneously, without mental effort, and being able to observe in direct perception how the tathāgatagarbha discerns and operates the faculties, the body, and the material world. But regarding such a state, the mind consciousness's knowing is just knowing—extremely coarse—and there remains a distance of two immeasurable kalpas of cultivation and realization before actual attainment. During this period, no matter what, you cannot observe in direct perception exactly how the tathāgatagarbha discerns and operates the faculties, the body, and the material world. To personally realize such a state, you must cultivate for another two great asaṃkhyeya kalpas; the entire intermediate process must be walked through, with no cutting corners or shirking allowed.

At the stage of an ordinary being, the mind consciousness has learned the term "true suchness samādhi" (tathatā-samādhi) and finds it excellent and sublime, but as for what exactly true suchness samādhi is and what its state is like, the mind knows nothing at all; what it knows and sees is merely conjecture. To personally see the state of true suchness samādhi, one must still cultivate for another immeasurable kalpa—that is, one great asaṃkhyeya kalpa. Because true suchness samādhi is the state of true suchness, realized upon all dharmas: seeing that all dharmas, or some dharmas, are of the nature of true suchness, all possessing the true and suchlike nature of the tathāgatagarbha, all being parts of the one true dharma realm.

Exactly how all dharmas are of the nature of true suchness, how they are all one true dharma realm—this is the state of the wisdom of the varieties of paths and the wisdom of the seeds of consciousness (the wisdom of all aspects), which only buddha-sons who have entered the Tathāgata's household at the first bhūmi or above have the capacity to observe in direct perception. Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas at the first bhūmi and above partially realize the Dharmakāya, achieve partial realization of buddhahood, and partially realize the one true dharma realm; only then do they know part of the true-suchness nature of all dharmas. Even if an ordinary being truly realizes the tathāgatagarbha, they are still too far from the wisdom state of true suchness samādhi—they can only think about it and absolutely cannot see it. When one sees it, one has the wisdom of the varieties of paths and becomes a great bodhisattva who has attained the bhūmis.

At the stage of an ordinary being, the mind consciousness has studied the Diamond Sutra and knows that all dharmas are like dreams, bubbles, and shadows. Yet no matter how much the mind consciousness feels that all dharmas are like dreams, bubbles, and shadows, one must still undergo nearly an asaṃkhyeya kalpa of cultivation, reaching the tenth dedication bhūmi, before personally realizing the dream-like state. In between, one must gradually realize the tathāgatagarbha, develop various samādhis, cultivate the first dhyāna, eliminate the manifest activity of the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, become a third-fruit non-returner (Anāgāmin), pass the three checkpoints of the Chan school, and realize in direct perception nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), with the ability at death to enter nirvāṇa without remainder yet choosing not to, retaining one grade of thought-delusion affliction to moisten the five-aggregate body life after life, continuing to liberate oneself and liberate others. If these conditions are not met and these states not passed through, the mind consciousness's feeling that all is like dreams, bubbles, and shadows is merely counting food—how could that fill the belly?

What the mind consciousness's telescope beholds may differ vastly from what the manas sees with its own eyes. Beholding from afar is easy and quick, but firsthand realization requires the manas to measure step by step with its own feet, personally walking to the edge of that state before it can be seen—extremely arduous, demanding enormous cost and effort. The states seen by the two are extremely inconsistent, so beholding from afar is one thing, while realization may only be possible after a considerably long time. Before realization, one can only indulge in talk, just saying the words. Do not think that realizing any dharma is easy—that is an illusion; in reality it is not so, it is extremely difficult. The karmic obstructions of immeasurable kalpas, with karmic power massive as mountains—how could they be so easily removed and overcome? Although the Buddha's power of blessing is inconceivable, one's own karmic power is equally inconceivable. Only when karmic obstructions are eliminated and good roots, merit, and all manner of conditions are complete will the manas close the distance with the mind consciousness and merge into unity with what the mind consciousness sees; only then can sudden enlightenment occur. Apart from this, it is all just the "mis" in misunderstanding.