Excerpt Explanations from the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra: The Ultimate Truth

Lankavatara Sutra Original Text: At that time, the great bodhisattva Mahamati again addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, I beseech you to expound the state free from oneness and difference, from both and neither, from existence and non-existence, and from eternity and non-eternity—a state not traversed by any non-Buddhist paths, but realized only by the self-awakened holy wisdom. It transcends the imagined individual and shared characteristics, enters the foremost true meaning, and progressively advances through the stages of bodhisattvahood, increasingly purifying the mind until entering the state of Buddhahood. It spontaneously fulfills the primal vows, like the mani-jewel manifesting boundless forms. Regarding the phenomena partially manifested by one's own mind—all dharmas—I and the other great bodhisattvas, by relinquishing such imagined natures and perceptions of individual and shared characteristics, will swiftly attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi."

Explanation: Bodhisattva Mahamati requested the World-Honored One to expound the supreme truth. After comprehending this supreme truth, bodhisattvas can progressively advance through the stages, enter Buddhahood, and become fully perfected Buddhas. This supreme truth is free from oneness and difference, from both and neither, from existence and non-existence, and from eternity and non-eternity. This wisdom realm of the supreme truth is unknown and unrealized by any non-Buddhist paths; only enlightened noble ones who have attained the stages can realize it. These noble ones can transcend the individual and shared characteristics possessed by the deluded seventh consciousness, realizing the profound true principle—the supreme truth. Then, beginning from the first stage, they progressively advance stage by stage, purifying their minds increasingly. When ignorance is exhausted and the seventh consciousness becomes utterly pure, they enter Buddhahood, becoming fully perfected Buddhas.

This supreme truth is like a mani-jewel, capable of manifesting infinite, boundless radiance and countless conditioned phenomena. Regarding the phenomena partially manifested by one's own mind within the phenomenal realm and the characteristics of all dharmas, Bodhisattva Mahamati said that he and the other great bodhisattvas can relinquish these false appearances manifested by the supreme truth due to the delusions of the seventh consciousness, transcend these individual and shared characteristics of false appearances, and perceive only the characteristic of the supreme truth. In this way, they will swiftly attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. The imagined individual and shared characteristics include the material and mental aspects produced by the supreme truth.

Here, "oneness and difference" refers to the relationship between the supreme truth and all dharmas—neither identical nor different. "Oneness" signifies commonality, while "difference" signifies distinction; the supreme truth and all dharmas share both common and distinct aspects. "Both and neither" refers to the relationship between the supreme truth and all dharmas—neither entirely together nor entirely separate; they are simultaneously united and distinct. "Existence and non-existence, neither existence nor non-existence" refers to the existential nature of the supreme truth—neither existent nor non-existent. The essence of the supreme truth exists, yet its conventional appearance is empty; thus, it is both existent and non-existent, neither existent nor non-existent. "Eternity and non-eternity" refers to the eternal and non-eternal nature of the supreme truth. The supreme truth is eternally indestructible, and the seven fundamental elements (mahabhuta) are also eternally indestructible. However, the karmic seeds stored within them, pertaining to the seventh consciousness, undergo birth, cessation, and change—they are not eternal. Consequently, their designations are also impermanent, changing according to different stages of practice as the stored karmic seeds transform.