The Wisdom of Equality of the Manas

The seventh consciousness possesses the equality-nature wisdom (samatā-jñāna) at the initial mind-ground of Extreme Joy (pramuditā), meaning that upon entering the initial mind of the first ground, Extreme Joy, the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom and attains a portion of the equality-nature wisdom. After the seventh consciousness, through cultivating the bodhisattva's six perfections, sees the mind and attains enlightenment, it possesses prajñā wisdom; as prajñā wisdom grows, it attains the wisdom of subsequent realization (pṛṣṭhalabdha-jñāna); through cultivating the path it initiates the first dhyāna, eradicates afflictions, successively passes through the gate of mirage-like phenomena and the gate of dream-like phenomena, and after realizing nirvāṇa with remainder, it cultivates and immerses itself in Consciousness-Only doctrine, attaining a portion of the Consciousness-Only seed-wisdom, and enters the first ground. At this point, the sixth consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, attaining the initial portion of the wonderful observing wisdom (pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna), and the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, attaining the initial portion of the equality-nature wisdom. These two consciousnesses must undergo three transformations of consciousness into wisdom on the way to buddhahood; when the defilement of ignorance is completely severed and everything becomes luminosity, the eighth consciousness and the five consciousnesses then respectively transform into the great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna) and the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done (kṛtyānuṣṭhāna-jñāna), perfecting the buddha path.

A first-ground bodhisattva has eradicated the nature of ordinary beings (pṛthagjana), entered the Tathāgata's family, and become a true son of the Buddha—this is an immense transformation in learning Buddhism and cultivating the path, highly emblematic, and the mind is filled with extreme joy; hence it is called the Ground of Extreme Joy. The seventh consciousness's equality-nature wisdom is transformed and brought forth during the path cultivation of the three stages of worthies after seeing the mind; it is the mark of successful transformation of the basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) into the eighth consciousness. The seventh consciousness realizes the equality of the eighth consciousness and constantly observes that although all sentient beings have different karmic retributions, the eighth consciousness—the cause that presents those retributions—is equal, and therefore their marks are also equal. In this way, the marks of person, self, sentient being, and life span are broken through, and one truly realizes that in essence all sentient beings are equal and will all ultimately become buddhas; the seventh consciousness-mind also gradually comes to possess the nature of equality, and after severing afflictions and transforming consciousness into wisdom, one enters the first ground.

Therefore, at the very moment of first seeing the mind, it must be that the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness both see the mind simultaneously; only then can one possess prajñā wisdom, only then can both break through the four marks, only then can both sever afflictions, only then can one pass through the three gates of the Chan school, only then can both realize the gate of mirage-like phenomena and the gate of dream-like phenomena, only then can both sever the nature of ordinary beings, only then can both realize the first-ground bodhisattva's portion of Consciousness-Only seed-wisdom, only then can both realize the true suchness nature of all dharmas, only then can both realize a portion of the one true dharmadhātu, and only then can both ultimately become buddhas.

The seventh consciousness of an arhat does not possess the equality-nature wisdom, because an arhat has not seen the mind and attained enlightenment, and does not possess prajñā wisdom or Consciousness-Only wisdom. However, there is also some quality of equality, but the standpoint of this equality differs from that of a first-ground bodhisattva. An arhat sees all sentient beings as empty and selfless, having severed all afflictions in the mind and broken through the four marks; from this standpoint of emptiness, the seventh consciousness sees all sentient beings as equal, but it cannot see all dharmas as equal, not knowing that all dharmas are of the nature of the eighth consciousness, are all of the nature of true suchness, are all the one true dharmadhātu; therefore it does not have the equality-nature wisdom.

Viewing the arhat's entire path of cultivation, the purity of the dharma eye (dharmacakṣu-viśuddhi) wisdom from the first fruit to the fourth fruit is realized simultaneously by the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness; otherwise one could not sever afflictions, enter nirvāṇa with remainder and nirvāṇa without remainder, nor break through the four marks. If the seventh consciousness, the manas, cannot eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), then it cannot sever the afflictions of ignorance, birth-and-death cannot be ended, the dust and toil of the three realms cannot be escaped, saṃsāra cannot be stopped, suffering cannot be severed, and cultivating the path would be meaningless.