The Principle of Not Falling into the Three Evil Destinies through Eradicating the View of Self

After one attains the first fruit through the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), one will no longer descend into the three evil paths to undergo suffering retribution. Why is this so? Because one's mind has changed; the mind no longer accords with the karma of the three evil paths, and one will no longer create the karmic actions of the three evil paths, and thus will no longer descend into the three evil paths to suffer. When the mind realizes no-self, it becomes empty; a person whose mind is empty cannot possibly create the karmic actions of the three evil paths. What are the karmic actions of the three evil paths? They are the karmic actions that violate the five precepts, and the karmic actions that violate the ten wholesome deeds. Only by upholding the five precepts can one obtain a human body and not the body of beings in the three evil paths; only by upholding the ten wholesome deeds can one obtain a human or heavenly body and not the body of beings in the three evil paths. In one who has eradicated the view of self and realized the fruit, the dausthulya afflictions have been eradicated, and the mental conduct will certainly accord with the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds; only thus can one be freed from the karma and bodies of the three evil paths.

Then this mind that has eradicated the view of self, this mind that accords with the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, this mind that does not accord with the karma of the three evil paths—which mind is it? The mind consciousness is certainly such a mind, and the manas, which is the most crucial, should absolutely be such a mind. Moreover, the manas is a mind without interruption; only after the view of self is eradicated will the manas uninterruptedly possess the merit of the path of union of vipaśyanā and śamatha. At any time—whether sleeping, unconscious, dying, or in the antarā-bhava—the merit of having eradicated the view of self is present in one's being, and one will take rebirth, enter the womb, and conceive by means of this merit. Therefore, whatever mental conduct the manas has, whatever karma it carries, there will be a corresponding embryonic body. If one wishes not to enter the three evil paths, the manas must eradicate the view of self and possess all the merits. The wisdom of hearing the Dharma, the wisdom of inference, the wisdom of speculation, and the wisdom of emotional deliberation and intellectual understanding belonging solely to the mind consciousness absolutely cannot guarantee the eradication of the manifest activity of the dausthulya afflictions, cannot guarantee that one will not create the karmic actions of the three evil paths, cannot guarantee that one will not violate the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, and therefore cannot guarantee that one will not enter the three evil paths at the end of life.