Enlightenment Is Attained Only When Consciousness and Manas Are in Harmony

A telescope can instantly see mountains and oceans tens of kilometers away, yet to personally witness and touch those mountains and oceans, one must traverse tens of kilometers on foot, arriving at the foot of the mountain or the edge of the sea. Only then can one see the mountains and oceans with one's own eyes, touch them, and truly know their form and appearance. Only then can one tell others: "I have seen that mountain and that ocean with my own eyes; they are truly magnificent. My mind instantly expanded, and I was overjoyed." The state of samadhi is similar to this. The manas must personally arrive; one must abandon the telescope and see with one's own eyes. Only then is there the samadhi of unified concentration and wisdom. If the manas does not arrive, that is merely seeing through a telescope—not true seeing, not unconditional seeing, not naked seeing.

Consciousness is like a telescope. No matter how far the realm it observes, what it sees is not real; the realm is blurry and indistinct. What the manas sees is clear, lucid, penetrating to the ultimate source of dharmas. If the manas does not catch up and cannot see what consciousness sees, it is not firsthand seeing, not personally encountering the present realm, not direct realization. Because what consciousness sees is distant from the actual realm, what it perceives is unreal, as if separated by a layer of lens, obstructed and obscured. The scenery is neither detailed nor clear—merely an outline. The details must be personally seen by the manas to be investigated and understood thoroughly.

While in the state of an ordinary being, consciousness may read some Buddhist sutras and learn about the Buddha’s realm, but if the manas does not know it, it is not direct realization of the Buddha’s realm. This kind of knowing is incomparably crude, hardly different from not knowing at all. To directly realize the Buddha’s realm, to know it finely, deeply, and truly, one must cultivate for three great asamkhyeya kalpas—that is, three immeasurable kalpas. There are no shortcuts in between. All dharmas that should be cultivated must be cultivated; all dharmas that should be realized must be realized. The precepts, concentration, and wisdom; the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment; the six paramitas of a bodhisattva—all practices must be undertaken without exception. The entire process must be personally experienced; cutting corners or taking shortcuts is absolutely impermissible.

While in the state of an ordinary being, consciousness may learn some dharmas and come to know the state of effortless action that an eighth-ground bodhisattva should possess—the ability to function spontaneously in accordance with dharmas without mental exertion, to directly perceive how the tathagatagarbha cognizes and operates the sense faculties, the body, and the material world. However, although consciousness may know of this state, its knowing is extremely crude, still separated by a distance of two immeasurable kalpas of cultivation and realization from actual attainment. During this period, no matter what, you cannot directly perceive exactly how the tathagatagarbha cognizes and operates the sense faculties, body, and material world. To personally realize this state, you must cultivate for two more great asamkhyeya kalpas. The entire intermediate process must be traversed; no corner-cutting or deceitful avoidance is allowed.

While in the state of an ordinary being, consciousness may learn the term "suchness samadhi" and feel it is excellent and supreme. But as for what exactly constitutes suchness samadhi, what its state is like—the mind knows nothing. What is known and perceived is merely conjecture. To personally witness the state of suchness samadhi, one must cultivate for another immeasurable kalpa—one great asamkhyeya kalpa. Because suchness samadhi is the state of suchness, realized upon all dharmas, seeing that all dharmas or some dharmas are of the nature of suchness, are the nature of the tathagatagarbha, are all part of the one true dharmadhatu. How exactly are all dharmas of the nature of suchness? How are they all one true dharmadhatu? This is the realm of the wisdom of the path and the wisdom of consciousness-only—a state that only bodhisattvas above the first ground, those who have entered the Tathagata’s family, have the capacity to directly perceive. Bodhisattva-mahasattvas above the first ground partially realize the dharmakaya, partially realize Buddhahood, partially realize the one true dharmadhatu, and only then know part of the suchness nature of all dharmas. Even if an ordinary being truly realizes the tathagatagarbha, they are still too far from the wisdom state of suchness samadhi; they can only think about it but absolutely cannot see it. When one sees it, one possesses the wisdom of the path and becomes a great bodhisattva who has entered the grounds.

While in the state of an ordinary being, consciousness may study the Diamond Sutra and learn that all dharmas are like a dream, a bubble, a shadow. But no matter how intensely consciousness feels that all dharmas are like a dream, bubble, or shadow, one must still undergo cultivation for nearly an asamkhyeya kalpa, reaching the stage of the ten dedications, to directly realize the state of being like a dream. In between, one must gradually realize the tathagatagarbha, initiate various samadhis, cultivate the first dhyana, eradicate the manifest activity of greed, hatred, and delusion, become a third-fruition practitioner, pass the three barriers of Chan Buddhism, directly realize the remainderless nirvana, and upon death, possess the ability to enter nirvana without remainder yet choose not to, retaining one portion of delusive afflictions to nourish the five aggregates body across lifetimes, continuing to liberate oneself and others. Without meeting these conditions, without passing through these states, what consciousness perceives as being like a dream, illusion, bubble, or shadow is merely "talking about food"—how could it satisfy hunger?

What the telescope of consciousness sees may differ vastly from what the manas sees firsthand. Seeing through the telescope is easy and quick, but direct realization requires the manas to measure step by step with its feet, personally walking to the edge of that realm to see it. It is extremely arduous, demanding immense cost and effort. The realms seen by the two are highly inconsistent. Therefore, seeing through the telescope is one thing, but realization remains impossible for a considerable period; one can only indulge in empty talk. Do not think realizing any dharma is easy—that is an illusion. In reality, it is not so; it is extremely difficult. The karmic obstacles of immeasurable kalpas are immense, like mountains—how could they be so easily eliminated or overcome? Although the Buddha’s power of blessing is inconceivable, one’s own karmic force is equally inconceivable. Only when karmic obstacles are eliminated, and roots of virtue, merit, and various conditions are fully assembled, does the manas draw closer to consciousness, merging with what consciousness sees. Only then can sudden awakening occur. Anything else is a mistake born of misunderstanding.