The Principle of Eradicating Self-View Without Descending into the Three Lower Realms

After attaining the fruit of Stream-Entry through the eradication of self-view, one will no longer fall into the three evil destinies to suffer retribution. Why is this so? Because the mind has changed; it no longer corresponds to the karmic actions leading to the three evil destinies and thus will not create such karmic actions, thereby avoiding rebirth into the three evil destinies and the suffering therein. When the mind realizes selflessness, it becomes empty. An empty mind cannot possibly create the karmic actions leading to the three evil destinies. What are the karmic actions leading to the three evil destinies? They are the actions violating the Five Precepts and the Ten Wholesome Deeds. Only by upholding the Five Precepts can one attain a human body and avoid the bodies of beings in the three evil destinies; only by upholding the Ten Wholesome Deeds can one attain human or heavenly bodies and avoid the bodies of beings in the three evil destinies. Those who have eradicated self-view and attained the fruit have eliminated coarse afflictions. Their mental conduct necessarily corresponds to the Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Deeds, thus freeing them from the karmic actions and rebirth in the three evil destinies.

Then, which mind is this mind that has eradicated self-view, this mind corresponding to the Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Deeds, this mind not corresponding to the karmic actions of the three evil destinies? The conscious mind (vijnana) certainly possesses such qualities, but most crucially, the manas (mental faculty) absolutely must possess such qualities. Moreover, manas is a continuous mind. Only after eradicating self-view does manas continuously possess the combined merit of vipassana (insight) and samatha (calm abiding). Whether asleep, unconscious, dying, or in the bardo (intermediate state) at any time, the merit of eradicating self-view remains with them. It is by this merit that they take rebirth, are reborn, and enter the womb. Therefore, whatever the mental conduct and karmic actions of manas are, a corresponding rebirth body will manifest. To avoid falling into the three evil destinies, manas must eradicate self-view and possess all merits. The wisdom gained merely from hearing the Dharma, the wisdom from reasoning, the wisdom from conjecture, or the wisdom born of emotional thinking and intellectual understanding — these alone absolutely cannot guarantee the eradication of coarse afflictions manifesting in action, cannot guarantee the non-creation of karmic actions leading to the three evil destinies, cannot guarantee non-violation of the Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Deeds, and thus cannot guarantee avoiding falling into the three evil destinies upon death.