The Profound Meaning of the Diamond Sutra from the Yogācāra Perspective (19)

The Buddha said that bodhisattva-mahāsattvas should subdue their minds in this way, and the mind that can be subdued is certainly the deluded mind. The true mind never gives rise to thoughts or conceptions; it has no views or ideas, does not grasp at the three realms and the six sense objects, does not create bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and is pure and free from afflictions—therefore it does not need to be subdued. As for the deluded mind—the eye consciousness, ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, mind consciousness, and manas—they are constantly grasping at the six sense objects and the myriad dharmas, giving rise to thoughts and mental activity, with boundless views, opinions, and perspectives; the self-view and self-grasping of persons and the view and grasping of dharmas as self are all blazing fiercely, and their bodily, verbal, and mental actions accord with greed, hatred, and delusion. Therefore they need to be subdued, to eliminate ignorance and give rise to the virtuous function of wisdom.

To subdue the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses, one must understand the functions and roles of the seven consciousnesses. The eye consciousness sees forms, distinguishing blue, yellow, red, and white, long and short, square and round, large and small, while the mind consciousness simultaneously discerns subtle characteristics—good or bad, beautiful or ugly, charm, temperament, and so on. Within this, feelings of liking and disliking arise, along with feelings of suffering, happiness, or neither-suffering-nor-happiness, and thus bodily, verbal, and mental actions appear. The ear consciousness hears sounds, distinguishing their pitch, distance, and direction, while the mind consciousness simultaneously discerns their categories, meanings, and so on, giving rise to mental activity such as craving and aversion; there are feelings of suffering, happiness, or neither-suffering-nor-happiness, and consequently bodily, verbal, and mental actions appear. The nose consciousness smells scents, distinguishing fragrant from foul and their directions, while the mind consciousness simultaneously discerns the types and degrees of the scents, giving rise to mental activity of liking and disliking; there are feelings of suffering, happiness, or neither-suffering-nor-happiness, and thus bodily, verbal, and mental actions appear.