Only by Transforming the Manas Can All Dharmas Be Changed

The cultivation and realization of the Consciousness-Only doctrine centers on the seventh consciousness (manas). The Tathagatagarbha requires no instruction from anyone and cannot be altered; one can only focus effort on the seventh consciousness. Altering the seventh consciousness transforms an individual, and it is only through changing the seventh consciousness that one progresses from an ordinary being to a Buddha on the resultant ground, thereby transforming all dharmas.

All ignorance resides within the seventh consciousness. Eliminating the ignorance of the seventh consciousness leads to Buddhahood. Altering the seventh consciousness changes the seeds (bija), and changing the seeds results in Buddhahood. The ignorance of the sixth consciousness (mano-vijnana) originates entirely from the seventh consciousness. The sixth consciousness and its ignorance depend upon the seventh consciousness. The sixth consciousness and its ignorance are relatively easy to eradicate; it is by no means difficult. The true difficulty lies with the seventh consciousness. Therefore, the mental factors (caittas) associated with the seventh consciousness cannot be significantly fewer than those of the sixth consciousness; they should be roughly comparable. If meditative power (dhyana-bala) and observational power are severely deficient, one cannot realize the seventh consciousness, let alone observe the functioning of its mental factors. Without knowing or realizing the operational state of the seventh consciousness within any dharma, one rashly dares to deny its various mental activities, insisting instead that they belong to the sixth consciousness.

If the seventh consciousness does not realize the dharmas, it cannot eliminate ignorance. Eliminating the ignorance of the sixth consciousness is useless; it changes nothing. It is now evident that making any effort focused solely on the sixth consciousness is futile. The cultivation and realization of all dharmas must reach and affect the seventh consciousness to resolve the fundamental problem. Once this line of thinking is clearly understood and clarified, there should be little more to say regarding the cultivation and realization of the Buddha Dharma.