The Distinction Between the True Mind and the Deluded Mind

The deluded mind has seven aspects: the seventh consciousness is the mental faculty (manas) along with the first six consciousnesses, while the true mind is solely the eighth consciousness. The mental faculty (manas) is the mind that constantly asserts control everywhere and at all times: "I want this," "I want that," "I should do this," "I should do that." It perpetually deliberates, grasps, and clings without cease, always exercising mastery. This is the intrinsic nature of the seventh consciousness.

As for the six consciousnesses, they discriminate the six dusts (objects of sense). When the eye sees a form, it immediately knows what it is. This knowing is the knowing of the eye-consciousness and the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna), which together discern the form. When the ear hears a sound, it immediately knows what sound it is. This knowing is the knowing of the ear-consciousness and the mental consciousness. All such knowing is impermanent, subject to birth and cessation. Whatever is capable of arising and ceasing is a deluded phenomenon (dharma). The mind that engages in false thinking is the mental consciousness. The mind that knows it is not engaged in false thinking is also the mental consciousness. This is the reflective function of the mental consciousness upon itself. During meditation, when the previous thoughts have ceased and the subsequent thoughts have not yet arisen, there is an intermediate state that is lucid, clear, and distinctly aware. This is the deluded mind of the mental consciousness; it is the mental consciousness knowing whether or not there are thoughts at this moment. As long as there is knowing, it is deluded. The true mind does not know whether one is in samādhi or not; it does not know whether there are thoughts or not.

In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha said: "To establish knowing within knowing is the root of ignorance." This refers to the knowing of the sixth consciousness. It means that taking the knowing of the sixth consciousness as real is the fundamental root of ignorance; it is delusion. He also said: "Internally guarding a state of leisure is still a matter of discriminating shadow-like phenomena of the dharma-dust." This also points to a state within the mental consciousness where there is nothing happening, a state of ease and leisure. This is a state of the dharma-dust, discriminated by the mental consciousness. This mind is the deluded mind, the sixth consciousness; it is not the true mind.

When one meditates to the point of knowing nothing, the sixth consciousness still clearly knows that it knows nothing; it knows that one has entered samādhi. This knowing is the reflective function of the deluded mind, the sixth consciousness; it is not the true mind. Because the mind that can discriminate and know this state of samādhi, this object of the dharma-dust, is the sixth consciousness. The true mind does not know it. One cannot mistake this mind for the true mind and believe one has attained enlightenment; this is not the state of enlightenment.

Any knowing related to the six dusts is not the knowing of the true mind. The true mind never knows the six dusts. The dharma-dust is also one of the six dusts. The state of samādhi is a state of the dharma-dust, known by the mental consciousness. Even if one cultivates to the highest samādhi within the three realms, the 'Samādhi of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception' (Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana), there is still a subtle 'perception' (saṃjñā) within that samādhi. This perception is knowing, and it is still the sixth consciousness. Only by extinguishing this knowing does one realize the fourth fruition of Arhatship. Immediately, one enters the Nirvāṇa without residue (anupādhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), ending birth and death, transcending the three realms, and attaining liberation. Therefore, as long as one takes any knowing as real, one cannot realize the fruition, cannot sever the view of self. Such a one remains an ordinary being bound by birth and death.

Within samādhi, the mind that discerns the state of samādhi and knows that one has entered samādhi is the mental consciousness. When the mental consciousness is temporarily free from false thoughts, one can enter samādhi. When the mental consciousness emerges from samādhi, false thoughts immediately arise again. Sometimes there are thoughts, sometimes there are none; whatever changes like this is not the real mind. The real mind never changes; it is always thus. Moreover, the thought-free mind within samādhi cannot be maintained for long; sooner or later, it will change. It is merely a temporary phenomenon of thoughtlessness. Even if one can enter samādhi for eighty thousand kalpas, the mental consciousness must eventually emerge. Once it emerges, thoughts and distractions return as before. Therefore, the thought-free mental consciousness within samādhi is a phenomenon subject to birth and cessation. The intrinsic nature of the sixth consciousness bears a slight resemblance to that of the eighth consciousness in that both are formless and without characteristics, making them difficult to distinguish. One must thoroughly discern the intrinsic nature of both to avoid mistaking one for the other. This point is crucial; matters of life and death cannot be treated vaguely. Once one thoroughly studies the scriptures, this will become clear.