What Is the Sixfold Transformation Referred to as the Basis of Defilement and Purity?

The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination: Ignorance conditions formations, formations condition consciousness, and so forth. Here, "formations" refer to bodily, verbal, and mental formations, and "consciousness" refers to the six consciousnesses. Therefore, ignorance must refer to the ignorance of the mental faculty. Because of the mental faculty's ignorance, it continuously prompts the arising and functioning of bodily, verbal, and mental formations, compelling the six consciousnesses to engage in these formations, preventing them from ceasing.

What does this ignorance include? It certainly encompasses all ignorance, including the six fundamental afflictions—greed, hatred, delusion, arrogance, doubt, and wrong views—as well as the twenty secondary afflictions. Due to these afflictions of ignorance, the mental faculty continuously prompts the arising and manifestation of bodily, verbal, and mental formations, causing the six consciousnesses to ceaselessly engage in activity. Thus, the six consciousnesses cannot become pure, cannot attain the unconditioned state, and cannot cease. The seeds of their actions inevitably remain, giving rise to existence in future lives.

The phrase "the six [consciousnesses] turning are called the basis of defilement and purity" also conveys this meaning. The mental faculty is the basis upon which the six consciousnesses depend for their purity and defilement. The six consciousnesses depend on the purity or defilement of the mental faculty to possess their own purity or defilement. If the mental faculty is pure, the six consciousnesses are pure; if the mental faculty is defiled, the six consciousnesses are defiled. Therefore, the afflictions of the six consciousnesses originate from the mental faculty, and their purity also originates from the mental faculty. Thus, resolving the problem of the mental faculty resolves the problem of the six consciousnesses, thereby resolving all problems. Consequently, eradicating the afflictions of greed, hatred, delusion, and all other afflictions from the mental faculty also eradicates the afflictions of greed, hatred, delusion, and all other afflictions from the six consciousnesses. If the mental faculty is free from afflictions, the six consciousnesses are also free from afflictions; eradicating ignorance from the mental faculty eradicates ignorance from the six consciousnesses. Therefore, the afflictive mental factors of the mental faculty are absolutely no fewer than those of the mental consciousness, and the afflictive mental factors of the mental consciousness are absolutely no more than those of the mental faculty. The wholesome mental factors of the mental faculty are no fewer than those of the mental consciousness, and the wholesome mental factors of the mental consciousness are no more than those of the mental faculty. Otherwise, the mental faculty would not be the basis of defilement and purity for the six consciousnesses.

All phenomena arise and function entirely because of the mental faculty, without exception or special circumstances. The mental faculty is the driving force and fundamental cause for the production of all phenomena within the three realms. Once the mental faculty's ignorance is completely extinguished and there is no remaining vow-power, the five-aggregate world instantly ceases. When the mental faculty is free from the afflictions of ignorance, the six consciousnesses have no reason to create karmic actions based on ignorance, because they lack autonomy and cannot act independently.

All phenomena are interconnected; not a single phenomenon exists independently or in opposition to others. It is only a matter of whether, during personal practice, one has thoroughly comprehended these phenomena. Without such comprehension, this phenomenon is this phenomenon, that phenomenon is that phenomenon—they do not interfere with each other. When comprehension is achieved, all phenomena interpenetrate perfectly, complementing and assisting each other, becoming intimately interconnected. When the Dharma is thoroughly comprehended, from any single aspect, one can demonstrate the truth of this phenomenon and also demonstrate the truth of that phenomenon, discovering more facts and truths, with wisdom becoming perfectly unobstructed and integrated.