The Inconceivable Distance Between Knowing and Realization

When eradicating the view of self, the sixth consciousness must engage in thorough contemplation and analysis, leaving no loopholes, so that the manas (seventh consciousness) fully recognizes and accepts this without any doubt, only then can the view of self be eradicated. To eradicate the view of self through contemplation, the sixth consciousness must exhaustively contemplate and observe the illusory and unreal nature of the five aggregates and the eighteen realms, successfully influencing the manas, enabling the manas to inwardly confirm that the five aggregates are indeed not the self. Only then will the manas possess sufficient conviction; no matter who claims that the five aggregates are real, the manas will not follow such thinking nor agree with it. To achieve this, the sixth consciousness itself must first understand the principles clearly and contemplate them thoroughly. It must also allow the manas a period of adaptation and confirmation, enabling it to acclimate to the fact that the five aggregates are indeed not the self and are not real.

When initially encountering this theory and beginning contemplation, some individuals genuinely feel fear, feel utterly lost, feel as if they have lost their support, and experience inner emptiness and dread. This is because the manas, since beginningless time, has firmly believed that the five aggregates are the self and are real. Now the sixth consciousness tells it otherwise, and the manas finds this extremely difficult to accept, hence the feelings of fear and distress. Only through the continuous influence of the sixth consciousness over time, after the manas accepts it, will these feelings gradually disappear. To ensure the manas is psychologically well-prepared, the sixth consciousness must repeatedly and continuously influence it, constantly reinforcing the concept of non-self. Eventually, one will be able to genuinely and thoroughly eradicate the view of self.

If only the sixth consciousness knows that the five aggregates and all dharmas are illusory, while the manas remains unaware and unaccepting, then it is of little use; it is merely superficial understanding, not true eradication of the view of self. From the first fruit (Sotāpanna) to the fourth fruit (Arhat), the manas must continuously recognize that the five aggregates are impermanent, illusory, and devoid of self. When it fully accepts this, the manas will completely sever all attachment to the realm of the five aggregates and gain the ability to transcend the cycle of birth and death. When the manas completely severs all attachments upon attaining the fourth fruit, it is like watching an IMAX movie: no matter what happens on the screen or what realms appear, the mind remains undisturbed, neither avoiding nor welcoming them. The manas no longer directs the body to avoid anything; the mind knows that all phenomena are unreal, existing only on the screen, not in reality, and thus ceases to be afraid.

From this, it can be seen that the psychology of sentient beings has both superficial functions and deeply hidden functions; yet the decisive role is played by that hidden force, which is deeply ingrained, difficult to transform, and hard to persuade—that is the habitual power of the manas. Transforming this habitual force is extremely crucial, as it resolves the great problem of birth and death spanning countless kalpas, including segment-based rebirth and transformational rebirth. This also eradicates the ignorance, karmic obstructions, and suffering accumulated since beginningless time, enabling one to reach the other shore of Nirvana.

The complete severance of the manas’ attachment to the five aggregates corresponds to the fourth fruit (Arhat) in the Hinayana tradition, and to the fulfillment of the seventh ground (bhūmi) in the Mahayana tradition, upon entering the eighth ground. The liberation realization of an eighth-ground Bodhisattva is equivalent to that of a fourth-fruit Arhat with complete liberation. The fulfillment of the first ground is equivalent to that of a wisdom-liberated Arhat, but a first-ground Bodhisattva does not take the fruit of a wisdom-liberated Arhat, and cannot completely sever all afflictions of thought. The state where the manas severs all attachment to the self can be known to some extent through inferential reasoning and imagination, even if not realized. Similarly, the state where the manas severs all attachment to dharmas can be roughly understood through inferential and non-conclusive thinking, even though it is even less attainable. The gap between knowing and realizing may span nearly two or three incalculable eons (asaṃkhyeya kalpas). The distance between knowing and realizing is truly unimaginable.

Some people always become arrogant and complacent merely upon knowing some doctrinal principles, but that is truly insignificant. Even if one genuinely realizes profound Buddhadharma, it is not worthy of arrogance or complacency. Looking across the ten directions and the past, present, and future, even if we cultivate to the level of an eighth-ground Bodhisattva, it still counts for nothing. Only those with shallow wisdom and limited experience are prone to developing arrogance and complacency, harboring deep conceit. Those who are intelligent, wise, and well-informed are less likely to develop conceit, because they have seen or know of countless individuals who are immeasurably superior to themselves; their perspective is exceedingly broad.