When the Manas Eradicates Craving for Feeling and Perception, One Enters the Cessation Attainment

Original text of the Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume 18: 云何无攀无住。所谓诸爱永尽离欲。寂灭涅槃。及灭尽定。所以者何。所言攀者。诸烦恼缠。所言住者。烦恼随眠。于彼处所。二种俱无。是故说言。无攀无住。此谓涅槃。无攀无住。又想名攀。受名为住。若于是处。二种俱无。即说彼处。无攀无住。如是显示。灭想受定。无攀无住。今此义中。意取灭定。

Explanation: What is meant by neither clinging nor abiding? It means that all craving and attachment of the manas are eternally exhausted, one departs from all desires toward the dharmas of the three-realm world, the mind attains quiescent extinction, and one enters the realm of nirvāṇa, or one realizes the concentration of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti). Why is this said? Because clinging means the manas is entangled by the various afflictions; one who is not entangled by afflictions does not have the mind clinging to dharmas. Abiding means there are dormant afflictions (anuśaya) in the mind, which is why the mind abides in dharmas; if afflictions and dormant afflictions are completely eradicated, it is said to be neither clinging nor abiding. This is the meaning of nirvāṇa being neither clinging nor abiding. Thus showing the state of neither clinging nor abiding within the concentration of the cessation of feeling and perception demonstrates that this person has realized the concentration of cessation.

The state in which the six consciousnesses are completely extinguished and the manas further extinguishes the two mental factors of feeling and perception is the concentration of cessation. Feeling has the meaning of abiding in dharmas — receiving the objects of dharmas is called abiding. Perception has the meaning of clinging — cognizing and grasping is perception. Clinging has the meaning of being entangled by afflictions; when the manas eradicates afflictions, it no longer clings. Eradicating afflictions is called the eternal exhaustion of all cravings; the eternal exhaustion of all cravings is precisely the abandonment of desire. When the manas abandons desire, all cravings are eternally exhausted and it no longer clings; when the manas abandons desire and has neither clinging nor abiding, one enters nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). That sentient beings do not realize nirvāṇa without remainder indicates that the manas has clinging, craving, desire, and abiding — receiving dharmas, perceiving dharmas, entangled by afflictions, the mind not tranquil. Thus showing the state in which the manas within the concentration of the cessation of feeling and perception has neither clinging nor abiding is precisely the concentration of cessation.

When the manas does not cling to the form object and does not abide in the form object, the eye consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not cling to the sound object and does not abide in the sound object, the ear consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not cling to the odor object and does not abide in the odor object, the nose consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not cling to the taste object and does not abide in the taste object, the tongue consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not cling to the tangible object and does not abide in the tangible object, the body consciousness and mind consciousness do not arise; when the manas does not cling to the dharma object, the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta) does not arise. When the manas has no feeling and no perception toward the six objects, having extinguished the sensation of feeling and the nature of cognition, not desiring to cognize the six objects, one abides in the concentration of cessation.

The reasoning here is rigorous and flawless. Maitreya Bodhisattva clearly states: if sentient beings' manas has desire and craving, then there is clinging and abiding, and one cannot realize the concentration of cessation, nor enter the realm of nirvāṇa to attain liberation; if sentient beings' manas abandons desire and craving, then one can realize the concentration of cessation and also realize nirvāṇa, which is called attaining liberation.

Abandoning desire — departing from all craving and attachment toward the dharmas of the three-realm world — one can leave the three realms. Abandoning aversion — eradicating the manifest afflictions of hatred — one must not only eradicate the hatred of the mind consciousness, but should even more eradicate the hatred of the manas. Maitreya Bodhisattva says that greed, hatred, and delusion are the solid afflictions of sentient beings. "Solid" means they are difficult to eradicate and uproot; the afflictions are extremely deep. This refers not merely to the greed, hatred, and delusion of the mind consciousness, but mainly to the greed, hatred, and delusion of the manas. The greed, hatred, and delusion of the mind consciousness are easy to subdue and eradicate; the mind consciousness is intelligent and wise, and can be transformed by learning Buddhism. The manas is not intelligent, does not easily understand dharmas or comprehend dharmas, and cannot deliberate, so it is difficult to transform. The afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are deeply rooted and difficult to uproot.