The Psychology of Clinging to Spurious Fruition

A person who returns without the obscuration of rebirth is born a sage, unconfused about all dharmas, knowing their own attained fruition level and degree of wisdom. Since the manas attained realization in the previous life, although the consciousness of this life is new, they possess the divine power of knowing past lives. The Buddha Dharma realized in the previous life is fully known in this life without any confusion. Since both the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are unconfused and possess wisdom, connecting seamlessly with the previous life, they are born a sage, needing no re-realization.

If in the previous life only the consciousness attained realization while the manas did not—the manas remaining deluded—then in this life the manas is deluded and the consciousness is also deluded. If both consciousnesses are deluded, they must jointly cultivate meditative concentration, contemplation, and discernment to prepare for attaining fruition. However, since the manas did not attain realization in the previous life, it has no impression whatsoever of the selflessness of the five aggregates, making it extremely difficult to permeate and transform the manas. The consciousness, being new, also has no impression of the previous life's practice and must start from the beginning. In this case, it requires a very long period of permeation and cultivation, which is exceedingly difficult.

A returning person with the obscuration of rebirth who re-attains fruition and realizes the mind in this life still needs to diligently study for several years before they can re-attain fruition and realize the mind. So how is it that ordinary people with no foundation from many past lives, encountering the Buddha Dharma for merely two, three, or five years in this life, attain fruition? What kind of capacity do they possess? Is it faster than that of a returning person?

The Buddha stated that the prerequisite for attaining fruition and realizing the mind is the complete fulfillment of the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment, the Six Perfections of the Bodhisattva, and the complete cultivation of precepts, concentration, and wisdom. Only then, when conditions are complete, can fruition be attained. But now it is not so. The Buddha’s words have become meaningless. There is no need to diligently cultivate the Thirty-seven Aids or the Six Perfections, nor to cultivate precepts, concentration, and wisdom. Precepts need not be received or upheld, meditation need not be cultivated, Chan investigation need not be undertaken. Merely understanding, merely knowing some superficial principle is enough—and the fruition is obtained. The less meditative concentration one has, the heavier one’s afflictions, the less one can uphold precepts—the easier it is to attain fruition. Those who diligently follow the Buddha’s instructions step by step, on the other hand, find it harder to attain fruition. This is the chaotic phenomenon of the degenerate age.

The tathāgatagarbha is the true master, yet the manas falsely claims to be the master. This false master regards all dharmas as self and belonging to self, takes the functions of the eighth consciousness as its own, and takes the functions of the six consciousnesses as its own. If the sixth consciousness severs the view of self, what use is it if this master (manas) does not sever the view of self? The master, the manas, constantly clings to "I, me, mine," refusing to let itself sever the view of self, yet demanding that its staff officer, attendant, assistant, subordinate, or follower (the sixth consciousness) sever the view of self—what use is that?

Those who still fail to grasp this should really examine their own brains. Has some part rusted shut? Is there any way to apply some rust remover to the brain? I have repeatedly explained the principle of the manas and consciousness simultaneously attaining fruition and realizing the mind, to the point of weariness, almost unwilling to speak of it again. Yet some still insist that only the consciousness needs to attain fruition and realize the mind. Why is the wisdom of these people so inferior? Why can’t they grasp such a simple issue? What karmic obstructions obscure their minds, making them cling stubbornly to their false fruition level, refusing to advance even one step? It is because attaining fruition through the consciousness is easy. Attaining fruition via the consciousness provides some comfort to the mind; compared to the seemingly endless wait for the manas to attain fruition, it at least offers a modicum of solace.

Loving a fruition level, loving others to look up to and worship oneself, loving to flatter each other—"you are a Bodhisattva," "I am a Bodhisattva," "we are all Bodhisattvas"—this is still an "I." If this "I" is not eliminated, can one be a person who has severed the view of self? This kind of "I"-mind is far heavier than the worldly person's "I." Compared to the worldly person's "I," it adds an "I" that has attained fruition and enlightenment, making one feel extraordinary, utterly incomparable to ordinary people. This "I" is even harder to relinquish than the self-conceit cultivated by worldly people.