When the Manas Eradicates Craving for Feeling and Perception, One Enters the Cessation Attainment

Original text of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume Eighteen:云何无攀无住。所谓诸爱永尽离欲。寂灭涅槃。及灭尽定。所以者何。所言攀者。诸烦恼缠。所言住者。烦恼随眠。于彼处所。二种俱无。是故说言。无攀无住。此谓涅槃。无攀无住。又想名攀。受名为住。若于是处。二种俱无。即说彼处。无攀无住。如是显示。灭想受定。无攀无住。今此义中。意取灭定。

Explanation: What is meant by neither grasping nor dwelling? It means that all craving of the manas is forever exhausted and cut off, departing from all desire for the world of the three realms, the mind attaining quiescent cessation and entering the state of nirvāṇa, or attaining the cessation of perception and feeling (nirodha-samāpatti). Why is this said? Because "grasping" means that the manas is entangled by the various afflictions; one who is not entangled by afflictions does not grasp at dharmas with the mind. "Dwelling" means that there are latent affliction-seeds (anuśaya) in the mind, and therefore the mind dwells on dharmas; if the afflictions and their latent seeds are exhausted, it is said that there is neither grasping nor dwelling. This is the meaning of nirvāṇa being without grasping and without dwelling. In this way, the state of neither grasping nor dwelling within the cessation of perception and feeling is displayed, showing that this person has attained the cessation of perception and feeling (nirodha-samāpatti).

The state in which the six consciousnesses have completely ceased and the manas has further extinguished the two mental factors of feeling and perception is the cessation of perception and feeling (nirodha-samāpatti). Feeling is the meaning of dwelling on dharmas—receiving dharma-objects is called dwelling. Perception is the meaning of grasping—knowing and apprehending constitutes perception. Grasping means entanglement by afflictions; when the manas eradicates afflictions, there is no grasping. Eradicating afflictions is called the forever-exhausted exhaustion of all craving; the forever-exhausted exhaustion of all craving is precisely departure from desire. When the manas departs from desire, all craving is forever exhausted and it no longer grasps; when the manas departs from desire, without grasping and without dwelling, it enters nirvāṇa without remainder. That sentient beings do not realize nirvāṇa without remainder shows that the manas has grasping, has craving, has desire, has dwelling—receiving dharmas and perceiving dharmas, entangled by afflictions, the mind is not tranquil. Displaying in this way the state in which the manas within the cessation of perception and feeling has neither grasping nor dwelling is the cessation of perception and feeling (nirodha-samāpatti).

When the manas does not grasp at nor dwell on material sense-objects, the eye consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not grasp at nor dwell on sound sense-objects, the ear consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not grasp at nor dwell on scent sense-objects, the nose consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not grasp at nor dwell on taste sense-objects, the tongue consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not grasp at nor dwell on tangible sense-objects, the body consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not grasp at mental sense-objects, the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta) does not arise. When the manas has no feeling and no perception with respect to the six sense-objects, extinguishing the sense of feeling and the capacity of knowing, having no desire to know the six sense-objects, it abides in the cessation of perception and feeling (nirodha-samāpatti).

The logic of contemplation here is very rigorous and unassailable. Bodhisattva Maitreya clearly states: when sentient beings' manas has desire and craving, there is grasping and dwelling, and they cannot attain the cessation of perception and feeling, nor can they enter the state of nirvāṇa and attain liberation; if sentient beings' manas departs from desire and craving, they can attain the cessation of perception and feeling, and can also attain nirvāṇa—this is called attaining liberation.

Departing from desire—leaving behind all craving for the dharmas of the three realms—enables one to leave the three realms. Departing from hatred—eradicating the manifest affliction of hatred—one must not only eradicate the mind consciousness's hatred, but should even more eradicate the manas's hatred. Bodhisattva Maitreya says that greed, hatred, and delusion are sentient beings' entrenched afflictions; "entrenched" means difficult to eradicate and pull out, the afflictions being extremely deep. This refers not merely to the mind consciousness's greed, hatred, and delusion, but mainly to the manas's greed, hatred, and delusion. The mind consciousness's greed, hatred, and delusion are easy to subdue and eradicate; the mind consciousness is intelligent and wise, and through studying Buddhism it can be transformed. The manas is not intelligent, does not easily understand the Dharma or comprehend the Dharma, and cannot deliberate, so it is difficult to transform; the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are deeply rooted and hard to pull out.