What Is Meant by “Transforming Consciousness into Wisdom”?

The knowing nature of the conscious mind is characterized by ignorance, foolishness, afflictions, obscuration, and attachment; its wisdom is shallow, and when it perceives dharmas it often falls into the marks of dharmas, lacking the wisdom of Consciousness-Only and not recognizing the true face of dharmas. After seeing the mind, one gradually attains meditative concentration (samādhi), eradicates afflictions, removes obscuration, and gradually passes through the tight barrier (laoguan). While in nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), one has, at the end of life, the ability to enter Nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa) yet chooses not to. Subsequently, one passes through the contemplation of things being like a dream, studies Consciousness-Only, and acquires a portion of the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only (唯识种智). When perceiving dharmas, one knows their Consciousness-Only nature and knows the substance of dharmas, no longer falling into worldly marks of dharmas; one's wisdom undergoes a qualitative leap. Then the sixth and seventh consciousnesses transform into wisdom (转识成智), one enters the home of the Tathāgatagarbha, becomes a true child of the Buddha, and can continue the Buddha's lineage, propagating the teaching on the Buddha's behalf in one region.

The prerequisites for transforming consciousness into wisdom are: one must have realized the fruits, and moreover must be at the third fruit (anāgāmin) or above; one must have meditative concentration, and moreover concentration of the first dhyāna or above; one must have seen the mind and attained realization, possessing not only the wisdom of the general characteristics of the dharma realm but also posterior wisdom (后得智), being able to observe directly and minutely the functioning of the tathāgatagarbha within the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) body; and one must also have a portion of the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only. Therefore, without meditative concentration, do not talk about realization, do not talk about wisdom, and even less talk about transforming consciousness into wisdom—at most one has merely dry wisdom that cannot quench thirst.