Black Box World (49)

Buddha possesses the Five Eyes and Six Supernatural Powers. Buddha discerns the six dusts (objects of sense) and can completely perceive the inner manifestation without relying on the six consciousnesses, nor does He need to depend on the subtle sense faculties. Buddha's solitary immaculate consciousness alone can fully substitute for the first seven consciousnesses to perceive all dharmas. Even Buddha's first five consciousnesses can individually perceive all dharmas. This is because all eight consciousnesses of Buddha possess the twenty-one mental factors: the five universal factors—attention, contact, sensation, perception, volition; the five particular factors—desire, resolve, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom; and the eleven wholesome factors—faith, shame, remorse, absence of greed, absence of hatred, absence of delusion, diligence, pliancy, heedfulness, equanimity, and non-harming. Thus, Buddha's immaculate consciousness, like His wisdom of exquisite observation, possesses desire, resolve, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, enabling it to discern and observe the realms of the six dusts. The same applies to the first five consciousnesses and the seventh consciousness. Therefore, all eight consciousnesses of Buddha are fully endowed with perfect wisdom, virtue, and capability.

Glaring at others with malevolent eyes, squinting at others disdainfully—these are unwholesome mental factors associated with the eye consciousness. However, upon attaining Buddhahood, even Buddha's first five consciousnesses are entirely wholesome. Moreover, the first five consciousnesses also possess wisdom, enabling them to perceive all dharmas and all such states—realms beyond our imagination. Since Buddha can directly perceive the outer manifestation, His outer manifestation must invariably be exquisite and perfect. Yet, He can also perceive the less exquisite and imperfect realms based on the minds of sentient beings. For Buddha, there is fundamentally nothing imperfect. Thus, the Saha World is, to Shakyamuni Buddha, an exceedingly splendid Buddha land. This is entirely different from the world perceived by sentient beings with tainted minds, which is why the passage in the Vimalakirti Sutra exists.