Diamond Sutra: The Profound Meaning of Vijñaptimātratā (33)

Why is that? If a bodhisattva gives alms without abiding in appearances, his merit and virtue are inconceivable and immeasurable.

Explanation: Giving alms while abiding in appearances confines the mind to those appearances, thus limiting the mind’s capacity. Consequently, the merit and virtue gained are finite. If the mind cannot transcend the appearances of the six dusts, it cannot attain liberation, nor can it achieve Buddhahood. The mind that gives alms is the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses, primarily the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. The mental faculty (seventh consciousness), also known as manas, decides whether to give alms. It contemplates whether to give, what to give, how much to give, and to whom to give, making the final decision. The analysis, reasoning, judgment, and observation before giving are performed by the sixth consciousness (mind consciousness), which reports the results to the mental faculty and persuades it. After contemplation, the mental faculty sometimes acts accordingly, and sometimes not. Therefore, we sometimes feel we should act one way but end up doing the opposite, feeling helpless about it. When seeing forms, the mental faculty may not necessarily follow the guidance or persuasion of the mind consciousness.

After studying Buddhism, one may recognize that eating meat is unwholesome and that one should adopt a vegetarian diet. Yet, upon seeing meat, one may still crave it and find it hard to restrain oneself. This is because the mental faculty always acts according to its habits, which are difficult to change. One might agree to donate a hundred yuan, but when it comes time to hand over the money, hesitation arises. The initial agreement was made by the mind consciousness after analysis, feeling it was the right thing to do. However, when giving the money, the mental faculty takes charge. With its strong sense of self-attachment, it is reluctant to part with possessions. Only through long-term cultivation and persistent persuasion by the mind consciousness can it transform. Thus, if the mental faculty changes, everything changes, and our karmic retribution becomes different. When a bodhisattva gives alms without abiding in appearances, the merit and virtue are boundless and limitless.

The merit and virtue of the Tathagatagarbha are so vast they cannot be described. The universe and empty space belong to it. The trichiliocosm belongs to it. The Flower Adornment World belongs to it. The Ocean of Worlds belongs to it. The thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics of all Buddhas belong to it. There is not a single dharma that does not belong to it. Yet, it desires nothing. Its merit and virtue are beyond description.