The Six Fundamental Roots as One

Reading the Shurangama Sutra and observing the outcomes cultivated by the twenty-five sages, one realizes that the manas (intellect root) can fully substitute for the first six consciousnesses. This is a factual account of sagehood cultivation; they need not be bodhisattvas, as Arhats are capable of achieving this. The prerequisite is to possess complete meditative concentration (dhyāna) and the power of samādhi.

The World-Honored One repeatedly emphasizes in the Shurangama Sutra that the six roots are fundamentally one root, divided into six due to ignorance and delusion. Upon attaining the Way, both the six and the one vanish; all are the functional manifestations of the primordial awareness (benjue). Among the Buddhist sutras, the Shurangama Sutra still expounds the deepest and most thorough understanding. The World-Honored One consistently guides us to illuminate the mind, perceive the true nature, recognize the essence of all dharmas, and find the path back to our original home.

Memorizing Buddhist sutras is far superior to memorizing treatises by bodhisattvas. After all, sutras are more reliable than treatises and do not mislead people, unless limited by the translator’s level of realization and proficiency, or distorted during transmission and circulation. The wisdom of bodhisattvas falls far short of the Buddha’s wisdom; their teachings inevitably contain discrepancies and are never entirely correct. Even achieving eighty percent accuracy is considered rare and commendable.