What are the conditions required for seeing one's true mind and attaining enlightenment?

The first point about seeing one's true mind is that the sixth and seventh consciousnesses must be in a normal state—relatively serene, inwardly peaceful, endowed with the power of meditative concentration, and possessing the wisdom of deliberation and contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā). One must be fairly familiar with the issues of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha), and after having eliminated self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi), or approaching its elimination, can one have the opportunity to see the true mind.

The vast majority of people, even in a normal state, cannot have clear thinking; they cannot eliminate self-view, nor can they see the true mind. Then, in an extremely abnormal state, it is even more impossible to have clear thinking, and they cannot eliminate self-view or see the true mind. For example, in states of unconsciousness, dreamless sleep or dreaming, the neutrino-body (antarā-bhava) state, the state after death before the antarā-bhava has arisen, states of extreme anger, extreme weakness, hardship and distress, grogginess, madness, mental derangement, and so on—the consciousness cannot think normally, so how could one awaken?

In nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), can one see the true mind and become enlightened? There is no sixth or seventh consciousness, and no one to awaken; therefore, one cannot become enlightened.

When unconscious, can one see the true mind and become enlightened? There is no mind consciousness, no deliberation, and the manas is in panic; one cannot become enlightened.

During dreamless sleep, can one see the true mind and become enlightened? There is no mind consciousness to lead the manas; one cannot become enlightened.

While dreaming, there is a mind consciousness—can one see the true mind and become enlightened? The mind consciousness cannot think clearly and cannot lead the manas; therefore, one cannot become enlightened.

After death, before the antarā-bhava has arisen, can one see the true mind and become enlightened? There is no mind consciousness, and the manas is in panic; one cannot become enlightened.

In the antarā-bhava, can one see the true mind and become enlightened? For ordinary beings burdened with karmic obstructions, in the antarā-bhava they are in extreme panic, not knowing their future destination—would they still have a calm state of mind to investigate? Without meditative concentration (dhyāna), one cannot become enlightened.

Can one become enlightened in Antara-parinirvāṇa? Antara-parinirvāṇa is the nirvāṇa attained by a non-returner (Anāgāmin). A non-returner possesses meditative concentration of the first dhyāna or above; generally speaking, only with concentration of the fourth dhyāna or above can one attain Antara-parinirvāṇa.

When even a small matter arises at home, the mind becomes unsettled and one cannot study Buddhism and cultivate normally. How much less so in the antarā-bhava, before the antarā-bhava has arisen, or within and outside of dreams. When something small happens, one's hands tremble even while typing—can one still see the true mind? When someone comes to curse, one immediately cannot forbear and curses back—can one still see the true mind? Those who habitually create much unwholesome karma and have heavy afflictions are all people without meditative concentration; their minds are impure and easily agitated.

If one possesses the fourth dhyāna, can one see the true mind in the antarā-bhava? If one has the fourth dhyāna while in a human body, then when emerging from concentration, one can see the true mind, because even when this person is not in the fourth dhyāna, their power of concentration is still quite good. In the antarā-bhava, their power of concentration is likewise quite good, and the antarā-bhava will not affect them; therefore, they can become enlightened. The benefit of the four dhyānas and eight concentrations is that they enable a person to have the power of concentration at all times, handling all human affairs calmly, thoroughly, steadily, and with clear thinking.