The Profound Meaning of Vijnaptimātratā in the Diamond Sutra (Part 135)

The Dharma of the mind encompasses the seven consciousnesses and their corresponding mental associates. In summary, it includes the eighteen dharmas of the sense bases (the six sense faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses), the twelve āyatanas, and the five aggregates. All these dharmas exist, arise and cease, transform, and function within the tathāgatagarbha, the One True Dharma Realm. They are all produced, manifested, and sustained by the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha. Since they are all produced and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, they are dharmas characterized by arising and ceasing. They are dharmas that are not free, not autonomous, dharmas that cannot govern themselves—dharmas that lack self-nature. Conversely, dharmas possessing self-nature do not arise, cease, or transform. They are capable of self-governance, able to exist independently, requiring no other conditions to endure eternally, and are perfectly endowed with all meritorious functions and applications.

Dharmas without self-nature lack these characteristics. Dharma without self cannot exist independently; it relies on external conditions to exist and function. It also requires the tathāgatagarbha to continuously infuse seeds to sustain its existence and operation; otherwise, it would cease. Therefore, all dharmas within the Three Realms are characterized by arising, ceasing, and transformation—all are without self. As for the supramundane dharma of tathāgatagarbha, although it possesses a degree of self-nature, enabling it to exist independently without relying on external conditions, without being born or perishing, being free and autonomous, it still contains within it the defiled karmic seeds of the seven consciousnesses. These karmic seeds are subject to arising, ceasing, and transformation, which burden the tathāgatagarbha, causing it to undergo changes and thereby affecting its meritorious functions and applications to some degree.

This is because the seeds within the tathāgatagarbha at this stage are susceptible to being permeated by the seven consciousnesses. Since the seeds within it can be permeated, the tathāgatagarbha as a whole is not immutable; it is not entirely possessed of self-nature. On the other hand, the tathāgatagarbha itself also has its own stream of consciousness-seeds. These consciousness-seeds arise, cease, and transform instantaneously, which is necessary to maintain the existence and functioning of the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, the tathāgatagarbha is also not entirely possessed of self-nature; it remains without self-nature.

Only the Stainless Consciousness of the Dharma Body at the Buddha stage is completely possessed of self-nature. At that point, the arising, ceasing, and transformation of the karmic seeds of the seven consciousnesses cease. The Stainless Consciousness is no longer permeated, no longer transforms, and has no seeds subject to arising and ceasing. The stream of consciousness-seeds from one's own mind also stops; there is no longer any phenomenon of instantaneous arising and ceasing. Therefore, the Stainless Consciousness at the Buddha stage is the complete and ultimate self-nature, utterly and completely Self. Its meritorious functions and applications can be fully realized, no longer obstructed or limited by the defiled karmic seeds of the seven consciousnesses. The mental associates increase from the original five to twenty-one. Thus, it is the complete, ultimate, and perfect self-nature.

Because Bodhisattvas realize the selflessness of all dharmas and can patiently abide in the selflessness inherent in all dharmas, they attain the profound wisdom of patience with the non-arising of phenomena (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti). The merit and benefit they receive from this are profound, extensive, and immeasurable, beyond the reach of calculation or analogy. With this profound wisdom of consciousness-only (vijñapti-mātratā) and the wisdom of all modes (sarvākārajñatā), Bodhisattvas gradually enter the Buddha stage, perfectly endowed with both merit and wisdom. They become revered throughout the Three Realms, teachers to gods and humans, fully possessing the merit and benefit of the Ten Epithets. They can establish Buddha-lands in the ten directions, manifest Buddhahood, and liberate immeasurable sentient beings. Therefore, the merit and benefit gained by Bodhisattvas from realizing the selflessness of all dharmas and the wisdom of patience with the non-arising of phenomena far surpasses the merit and blessings gained from giving the seven treasures. The difference between them is incomparable and ineffable.