The Realm After Enlightenment

Question: "Is it possible to continuously maintain unimpeded wisdom-illumination at all times and in all places, with each thought perfectly penetrating, without seeing a single dharma that can cause obstruction, and without even a moment's interruption?" This is one of the ten criteria for verifying enlightenment in The Record of the Mirror of the Source. How should this statement be understood?

Answer: This passage should be understood as follows: After enlightenment, a Bodhisattva, in all activities within the five-aggregate world, at all times, in all places, and in regard to all dharmas, should be able to observe that everything is the functional manifestation of the tathāgatagarbha. There is no independent function of the five aggregates themselves; all are the functional application of the true suchness nature. The mind does not fall into the illusory appearances of the five-aggregate world. This level of wisdom is extremely profound, reaching the stage of the patience of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti). It partially realizes the one true dharma realm, verifying that all dharmas, both worldly and transcendental, are entirely the functional manifestations of the tathāgatagarbha.

Such observational wisdom is utterly unattainable for Bodhisattvas below the first bhūmi (ground). It requires the attainment of the first dhyāna (meditative absorption) or higher, with unwavering stability in that dhyāna, enabling continuity. It also requires the possession of profound wisdom regarding consciousness-only seeds (vijñapti-mātra bija-jñāna). Otherwise, it is impossible to observe with such subtlety, thoroughness, and depth. This is the true suchness samādhi (tathatā-samādhi). Buddhas fully realize suchness samādhi, while Bodhisattvas on the bhūmis (grounds) only partially realize it; they cannot fully attain complete suchness samādhi because many dharmas remain unrealized, and some dharmas still fall within worldly appearances.

If verifying the enlightenment state of Bodhisattvas below the bhūmis who lack wisdom regarding consciousness-only seeds, their daily observation should fall within the scope of the non-self of persons (pudgala-nairātmya). They should constantly observe, at all times and in all places, the non-self of the five aggregates, realizing that all dharmas within the five aggregates and eighteen elements are the meritorious functions of the tathāgatagarbha, and that there are no real five aggregates. To possess such observational wisdom, two things are essential: first, ensuring genuine enlightenment; second, maintaining the attainment of the "approaching-samādhi" (anāgamya-samādhi) or the first dhyāna without regression. Once meditative absorption regresses, coupled with external disturbances, their power of observation diminishes, and their perception of dharmas falls back into worldly appearances. Residing in the Sahā world, where environmental influences and disturbances are severe, maintaining such observational skill is extremely difficult. Generally speaking, such effort tends to be intermittent and hard to sustain continuously, because meditative absorption is prone to regression and difficult to maintain, and without meditative absorption, there is no corresponding observation.