What Does It Mean to Rely on Wisdom Rather Than on Consciousness?

When the Buddha was about to enter parinirvāṇa, He instructed His disciples that in studying and practicing the Dharma, they must strictly follow the four reliances and four non-reliances: rely on the Dharma, not on persons; rely on wisdom, not on consciousness; rely on the meaning, not on the words; rely on the definitive meaning, not on the non-definitive meaning. Although there are only these four principles, they are extremely difficult to practice, and the vast majority of people cannot accomplish them.

Among them, relying on wisdom rather than on consciousness is something that neither ordinary people nor ordinary bodhisattvas can achieve. First of all, this wisdom is not something that ordinary people can possess in full. This wisdom is transformed from the consciousness of ordinary beings and from the consciousness of pre-bhūmi bodhisattvas (pūrvabhūmika bodhisattva) who have seen the path; it is the wisdom that arises after the transformation of consciousness into wisdom (āśraya-parāvṛtti)—the wonderful observing wisdom (pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna) of the mind consciousness and the wisdom of equality (samatā-jñāna) of the manas. It is the wisdom of the seed-wisdom of Yogācāra, the profound great wisdom possessed by bhūmi-pratiṣṭhita bodhisattvas. The Buddha warned sentient beings, "Beware of trusting your own mind, for your mind is not to be trusted," and only after attaining the fruit of an arhat may one trust one's own mind. As He was about to enter parinirvāṇa, He further instructed that one must rely on the Yogācāra seed-wisdom of bhūmi-pratiṣṭhita bodhisattvas, relying on the wonderful observing wisdom and the wisdom of equality. Viewed this way, the World-Honored One's two instructions echo and corroborate each other, consistent from beginning to end, encompassing the entire study and practice of both the Greater and Lesser Vehicles.

Why did the World-Honored One emphasize this so strongly and demand this so strictly of His disciples? Because one who has attained the fruit of an arhat has severed all afflictions, has completely eliminated fundamental ignorance, and has liberation wisdom manifesting before him; his wisdom is no longer obstructed, and his views and concepts are equal to those of the liberation path of the Lesser Vehicle. Only then are there no errors or omissions, and only then can one rely upon his liberation-based views. As for bhūmi-pratiṣṭhita bodhisattvas who have accomplished the transformation of consciousness into wisdom, they have also severed the obstruction of afflictions, with only very subtle grasping at self not yet completely eliminated. They possess profound wonderful observing wisdom and wisdom of equality; their wisdom of the Greater and Lesser Vehicles is extremely deep and sharp, and their views are thoroughly penetrating. Only their views on all Buddha-Dharma can be relied upon. As for everyone else, the Buddha said, "Beware of trusting your own mind," because they have the obstruction of afflictions, lack wisdom, and have rather serious errors and omissions.