The Importance of Understanding the Distinction Between Manas and Vijnana in the Dharma-Ending Age

Nowadays, people do not cultivate meditative concentration (samadhi); they fail to cultivate it properly and merely engage in empty talk. After reading a couple of books and gaining some intellectual understanding, they consider themselves enlightened. Without even attaining intellectual comprehension (解悟), they claim to have achieved experiential realization (证悟). Therefore, it is necessary for sentient beings in the Dharma Ending Age to understand the distinction between the seventh consciousness (意根, manas) and the sixth consciousness (意识, manovijñāna), so that the public may know what constitutes intellectual comprehension and what constitutes experiential realization. This is to prevent sentient beings from committing the grave offense of major false speech.

The chaos of the Dharma Ending Age is extremely severe. Sentient beings are deeply entrenched in emotional attachment (情执). While they often say, "Rely on the Dharma, not on the person," in practice, they do the opposite. If all sentient beings could cultivate according to the principles and the Dharma, truly relying on the Dharma rather than the person, shouting fewer slogans and doing more practical work, striving to fulfill their duties properly, and genuinely adhering to the Buddha's teachings, then the Buddha would be more at ease. Not opposing the Buddha and faithfully following the teachings is equivalent to repaying the Buddha's kindness.

Subduing emotional attachment even a little allows one to see the truth more clearly. One should prioritize the path of cultivation over emotional attachments. Emotional attachment cannot save anyone; each person must bear their own karma—no one can substitute for another. If one can broaden their mind and be more energetic, they should prioritize Buddhism and the life-and-death matters of sentient beings. Moreover, one must first understand the Buddha's kindness and find ways to repay it, ensuring that words and actions do not cause the Buddha sorrow or distress. It is essential to know that the Tathāgatagarbha (如来藏) stores seeds (bīja) instant by instant. In every moment of our speech, actions, and the activities of body, speech, and mind, the Tathāgatagarbha is monitoring and recording. Therefore, we must revere the Tathāgatagarbha and revere cause and effect (karma). We must not merely shout lofty words while acting contrary to them.