The Distinction Between the True Mind and the Deluded Mind

There are seven delusive minds: the seventh consciousness, the mental faculty, and the first six consciousnesses. The true mind is only the eighth consciousness. The mental faculty is the mind that constantly dominates everywhere and at all times: "I want this, I want that," "I should do this, I should do that." It perpetually deliberates, grasps, and clings without ceasing, exercising control at every moment. This is the intrinsic nature of the seventh consciousness.

The six consciousnesses differentiate the six dusts. When the eye sees form dust, it immediately knows what it is. This knowing is the knowing of the eye consciousness and the mental consciousness, both jointly discerning the form dust. When the ear hears sound, it immediately knows what sound it is. This knowing is the knowing of the ear consciousness and the mental consciousness. All these knowings are impermanent and subject to birth and cessation. Whatever can arise and cease is a delusive phenomenon. The mind that generates delusive thoughts is the mental consciousness. The mind that knows it is not generating delusive thoughts is also the mental consciousness. This is the mental consciousness's function of self-reflection. During meditation, when the past has ceased and the future has not yet arisen, and the present is clear, lucid, and distinctly aware, this is precisely the delusive mind of the mental consciousness. It is the delusive mind of the mental consciousness that knows whether there are thoughts at this moment. As long as there is knowing, it is delusive. The true mind does not know whether one is in samādhi or not, nor does it know whether there are thoughts or not.

In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha said: "To establish perception within perception is the root of ignorance." This refers to the knowing of the sixth consciousness. It means that taking the knowing of the sixth consciousness as real is the fundamental root of ignorance; it is delusion. He also said: "Internally guarding a state of leisure is still an affair of differentiating the shadow of dharma dust." This also points to the state within the mental consciousness where there is nothing happening, a carefree and leisurely state. This is the realm of dharma dust, differentiated by the mental consciousness. This mind is the delusive mind, the sixth consciousness, not the true mind.

When sitting in meditation reaches a state of knowing nothing, the sixth consciousness still clearly knows that it knows nothing, knows that it has entered samādhi. This knowing is the reflective function of the delusive mind, the sixth consciousness, not the true mind. Because the mind that differentiates and knows this samādhi state, this dharma dust, is the sixth consciousness. The true mind does not know. One cannot mistake this mind for the true mind and believe one has attained enlightenment; this is not the state of enlightenment.

Any knowing related to the six dusts is not the knowing of the true mind. The true mind never knows the six dusts. Dharma dust is also one of the six dusts. The state of samādhi is the realm of dharma dust, known by the mental consciousness. Even if one cultivates to the highest samādhi within the three realms, the samādhi of neither perception nor non-perception, there is still a subtle "perception" within that samādhi. This perception is knowing, and it is still the sixth consciousness. When knowing is extinguished, one attains the fourth fruition of arhatship, immediately enters the remainderless nirvāṇa, ends birth and death, transcends the three realms, and achieves liberation. Therefore, as long as one regards any knowing as real, one cannot attain the fruition, cannot sever the view of self. This is the state of a sentient being bound by birth and death.

In samādhi, the mind that discerns the samādhi state and knows that one has entered samādhi is the mental consciousness. When the mental consciousness temporarily has no delusive thoughts, one can enter samādhi. When the mental consciousness exits samādhi, delusive thoughts immediately arise. Sometimes there are thoughts, sometimes there are none; whatever changes is not the real mind. The real mind never changes; it is always thus. Moreover, the thoughtless mind in samādhi cannot be maintained for long; it will inevitably change sooner or later. It is merely a temporary phenomenon of thoughtlessness. Even if one can enter samādhi for eighty thousand great kalpas, the mental consciousness must eventually exit samādhi. Once it exits, thoughts and distractions return as before. Therefore, the thoughtless mental consciousness in samādhi is a phenomenon subject to birth and cessation. The intrinsic nature of the sixth consciousness has a slight resemblance to the eighth consciousness in that both are formless and without characteristics, making them difficult to distinguish. One must thoroughly discern the intrinsic nature of both to avoid mistaking one for the other. This point is crucial; matters of life and death cannot be ambiguous. Once one thoroughly studies the scriptures, it becomes clear.