The Connotation of Transforming Consciousness into Wisdom

The initial transformation of consciousness into wisdom occurs at the stage of the first-ground bodhisattva, where one enters the gate and steps into the chamber, becoming a true child of the Tathāgata within the Tathāgata's household—that is, a true son of the Buddha. The implication is that prior to the first-ground bodhisattva stage, including the four-fruition arhats and pratyekabuddhas, practitioners are not the Buddha's true children. The reason is that they have not yet transformed consciousness into wisdom; their consciousness-nature predominates over wisdom-nature, their insight into all dharmas is insufficient, and they perceive the existence of all dharmas as superior to the emptiness of all dharmas.

In Buddhist practice, transforming consciousness into wisdom is a high threshold, involving both meditative power and insight power. Only when both are sufficiently developed can one cross this threshold with ease. Meditative power must possess the concentration strength of at least the first dhyāna, while insight power must possess the wisdom-strength to perceive emptiness, including the emptiness of self and a partial emptiness of phenomenal non-self. Other factors include the bodhisattva's self-discipline, mental disposition, compassion for sentient beings, and vow power. Upholding precepts constitutes self-discipline; only then can one discipline others and become a model and guide for sentient beings. With perfected precepts, gentle forbearance, and the attainment of the first dhyāna, one can progressively eliminate various afflictions based on the abandonment of self-view. This removes part of the obscurations to wisdom. If habitual afflictions are also eradicated, the obscurations to wisdom are completely removed, and the sun of wisdom illuminates the entire universe.

Thus, it is evident that the ultimate purpose of practice is to realize the wisdom of the emptiness of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Consciousness, relying on this, successively realizes the emptiness of all dharmas, and the manas (mental faculty) also successively realizes the emptiness of all dharmas, transforming the consciousness-nature of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses into wisdom-nature. Consciousness afflicted by ignorance is consciousness-nature; consciousness free from ignorance and afflictions is wisdom-nature. To eradicate afflictions, one must possess meditative power of at least the first dhyāna and abandon the view of a self before consciousness can be transformed into wisdom.