Differences in Manas Lead to Differences in Vijnana

Why is it that when sages come to this five-fold turbid evil world, their consciousness-mind is not easily tainted? Why is the Buddha's consciousness-mind not tainted at all? Whether consciousness is tainted or not depends primarily on the strength of the manas. The manas of sages is free from afflictions; thus, their consciousness, relying on such manas, is also free from afflictions and not easily tainted by the environment. The Buddha's consciousness is fundamentally immune to defilement, like a lotus in the mud. Ordinary beings, with their manas heavily burdened by ignorance and afflictions, heavily taint their consciousness, which easily gives rise to afflictions. Bodhisattvas before the first ground are similar, though slightly better. Yet, whether sage or ordinary being, when the five aggregates body is first born, consciousness is equal for all—a blank slate, pure and flawless. Only afterward is it tainted and driven by their own manas, leading to different behavioral manifestations. Then, further tainted by the environment, parents, and others, the behavioral expressions of consciousness diverge even more.

The same consciousness inherently has no difference. Under the same environmental pollution, why is the consciousness of Buddhas and sages not tainted, while that of ordinary beings is? Is it the difference in the environment or the difference in the manas? Let us not speak of the transformation of consciousness into wisdom for now, but consider the time of childhood or before studying Buddhism: why is there such a vast difference in consciousness? In the same dye vat, why is one severely stained and corrupted, with greed, hatred, and delusion blazing fiercely, while the other remains pure, maintaining integrity? There is only one explanation: the difference in manas leads to the difference in consciousness, and that is all.

If manas were inherently free from greed, hatred, and delusion, yet the acquired consciousness could be tainted into a state of greed, hatred, and delusion, that would be utterly bizarre—utterly ridiculous. If that were the case, since the Buddha’s manas lacks greed, hatred, and delusion, even if born in the five-fold turbid evil world, his consciousness should still be stainable by greed, hatred, and delusion. Then what use would cultivation be? Therefore, the reason consciousness possesses greed, hatred, and delusion lies entirely in the manas having greed, hatred, and delusion. If the manas lacks greed, hatred, and delusion, consciousness absolutely cannot be tainted into greed, hatred, and delusion. For Bodhisattvas whose manas has transformed consciousness into wisdom, even when in defiled environments, their consciousness will not be tainted by greed, hatred, or delusion. Their Bodhisattva fruition will not regress; they will not revert to being Bodhisattvas before the first ground afflicted with greed, hatred, and delusion, nor fall back before the third fruition or the aspiration toward the fourth fruition.

The difference between individuals does not lie in a single lifetime. Within one lifetime, differences cannot accumulate to such a great extent; differences are accumulated over many lifetimes. Therefore, the disparity among sentient beings lies in the manas. It is the difference in manas that causes the difference in the consciousness, body, speech, and mind; that causes the difference in the wisdom of consciousness; that causes the difference in merit, virtue, and meditative concentration. Due to the difference in manas, there arise differences in all aspects of consciousness, and the wisdom to recognize problems also vastly differs. The wisdom of the manas is extremely important; it belongs to the assets from past lives within the five aggregates, known as the root of wisdom (prajñendriya). If the manas lacks good wisdom, all our cultivation in past lives would be in vain; all the Buddhadharma and worldly dharmas cultivated and tainted in past lives would be for naught, unable to be carried over to benefit this life.