The Difference Between the True Mind and the Deluded Mind

There are seven deluded minds: the seventh consciousness, the manas, and the first six consciousnesses; there is only one true mind, the eighth consciousness. The manas is the mind that constantly and everywhere acts as the master — "I want this, I want that, I should do this, I should do that" — always deliberating (manasikāra), grasping (upādāna), and clinging without cease, constantly acting as the master. This is the nature of the seventh consciousness.

The six consciousnesses, on the other hand, discriminate the six sense objects. As soon as the eyes see a form object, one knows what it is; this knowing is the knowing of the eye consciousness and the mind consciousness, which together discern the form object. As soon as the ears hear a sound, one knows what the sound is; this knowing is the knowing of the ear consciousness and the mind consciousness. All these knowings are subject to arising and ceasing and are impermanent; whatever can arise, cease, and change is deluded dharma. The mind engaged in wandering thoughts is the mind consciousness, and the mind that knows one is not engaging in wandering thoughts is also the mind consciousness — this is the mind consciousness's power of introspection (pratyavekṣā-bala) upon itself. When sitting in meditation, the prior moment has ceased, the later moment has not yet arisen, and the segment in between is lucid and clear — this is the deluded mind consciousness; it is the deluded mind consciousness that knows whether one has thoughts at this moment. As long as there is knowing, it is deluded. The true mind does not know whether one has entered samādhi or not, and does not know whether there are thoughts or not.

The Buddha said in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra: 知见立知，即无明本。This is the knowing of the sixth consciousness, meaning that taking the knowing of the sixth consciousness as real is the root of ignorance — it is deluded. He further said: 内守悠闲，犹是法尘分别影事。This also refers to the state in which the mind consciousness has nothing to do and idles at ease — this is a state of mental sense objects (dharma-viṣaya), discriminated by the mind consciousness. This mind is the deluded mind, the sixth consciousness, not the true mind.

When one sits in meditation until knowing nothing at all, the sixth consciousness clearly knows that it knows nothing at all, and knows that it has entered samādhi. This knowing is the introspective function of the deluded sixth consciousness, not the true mind. Because the mind that can discriminate and know this state of meditative concentration — this dharma-viṣaya — is the sixth consciousness; the true mind does not know. One must not take this mind as the true mind and think oneself enlightened; this is not a state of enlightenment.

Any knowing of the six sense objects is not the knowing of the true mind; the true mind never knows the six sense objects. The mental sense object is also one of the six sense objects, and the state of meditative concentration is a dharma-viṣaya state, known by the mind consciousness. Even if one cultivates to the highest samādhi in the three realms, the samādhi of neither perception nor non-perception, there is still a perception within that samādhi; this perception is knowing, and it is also the sixth consciousness. If this knowing is extinguished, one realizes the fruit of the fourth-stage arhat, immediately enters nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), ends birth and death, escapes the three realms, and attains liberation. Therefore, as long as one takes any knowing to be real, one cannot realize the fruits, cannot achieve the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), and remains an ordinary being of birth and death.

The mind that discerns the state of concentration within samādhi and knows one has entered samādhi is the mind consciousness; when the mind consciousness temporarily has no wandering thoughts, one can enter samādhi. When the mind consciousness exits samādhi, wandering thoughts immediately arise — now there are thoughts, now there are none; what changes back and forth is not the real mind. The real mind never changes; it is always thus. Moreover, the thought-free mind in samādhi cannot be maintained for long; sooner or later it will change — it is only a temporary phenomenon of thought-freeness. Even if one can remain in samādhi for eighty thousand great kalpas, the mind consciousness must eventually exit samādhi, and once out, there will be thoughts and distraction just as before. Therefore, the thought-free mind consciousness in samādhi is a conditioned dharma subject to arising and ceasing. The nature of the sixth consciousness resembles that of the eighth consciousness in one respect: both are formless and without marks, and thus they are difficult to distinguish. One must thoroughly discern the natures of both, so as not to make a mistake. This point is of utmost importance — the great matter of birth and death cannot be treated vaguely. Once you have studied the sūtras thoroughly, you will understand.