The Three Stages of Manas Transforming Consciousness into Wisdom

The acquired awakened nature of equality refers to the nature of the manas to treat all dharmas with equality. The manas transforms from its original unequal nature into a nature of equality, and this transformation occurs in three stages. The first stage is upon entering the first bhūmi, when the manas formally transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, and its nature is transformed to possess one portion of the nature of equality. The second stage is upon entering the eighth bhūmi, when the manas transforms consciousness into wisdom for the second time, transforming into an equalizing wisdom of equality that is somewhat more equal. The third stage is at the point of imminent buddhahood, when the manas transforms consciousness into wisdom for the last time, transforming into a thoroughly equal nature. Only after the manas has transformed consciousness into wisdom can an initial degree of equality be attained, seeing all sentient beings as buddhas, all possessing the intrinsically pure mind of self-nature, and all able to attain buddhahood.

The awakened nature of equality of the manas only becomes truly and fully equal at the stage of buddhahood, where seeing all sentient beings means seeing their true suchness and self-nature, knowing that from the perspective of self-nature all sentient beings are equal, and there will be no unfair treatment. It is not that when the Buddha sees a sentient being as wholesome, He is compassionate toward that being, and when He sees a sentient being as unwholesome, He is not compassionate toward sentient beings. The Buddha treats all sentient beings equally, contemplating and caring for them all with a mind of compassion. However, the Buddha possesses immeasurable wisdom, and in contemplating sentient beings He also discerns whether their spiritual faculties are sharp or dull, acting according to what sentient beings need. Before we have realized the tathāgatagarbha, the awakening we obtain is all the awakening of the mind consciousness.

The awakening of the mind consciousness is divided into many kinds: there is the awakening of ordinary beings, the awakening of the virtuous who have awakened to the true mind and seen their self-nature, the awakening of bodhisattvas on the ten bhūmis, and the awakening of the Buddha. The awakening of ordinary beings is understanding the suffering of life, wishing to leave behind painful feelings, wishing to cultivate practice, wishing to realize liberation, and wishing to awaken to the true mind and see self-nature. The awakening of the virtuous is having awakened to the reality of the dharmadhātu and attained wisdom, hoping to achieve complete liberation and accomplishment. The awakening of bodhisattvas on the ten bhūmis is having attained the great wisdom of the patience with the non-arising of dharmas, hoping to benefit themselves and benefit others, advancing from bhūmi to bhūmi, and swiftly perfecting the fruit of buddhahood. The true awakening of the acquired cognizing mind is awakening to the true mind and seeing self-nature; after finding the tathāgatagarbha, one awakens to the fact that all dharmas are born from and manifested by the intrinsically pure mind of self-nature, the tathāgatagarbha, and awakens to the fact that all dharmas are of the nature of the tathāgatagarbha.