The Principle of Direct Realization through the Mind Faculty

Chapter One: The Principle of Direct Realization by Manas

24. The non-self of manas manifests in four ways: first, not recognizing manas as real; second, not recognizing the five aggregates as real or as oneself; third, not recognizing the functions of the six consciousnesses as real or as the functions of manas itself; fourth, not recognizing the functions of the eighth consciousness as the functions of manas itself.

When severing the attachment to self, manas must realize that the five aggregates and eighteen elements are not the self. Gradually, it begins to relinquish attachment to the five aggregates and eighteen elements, observing that this function of the five aggregates is not the self, that function is not the self, and none of the functions of the five aggregates are the self. Bit by bit, manas thus severs its attachment to the five aggregates and becomes a fourth-stage arhat. After manas severs attachment to the five aggregates and attains initial non-outflow, its characteristic of pervasive conceptual attachment is partially eliminated. Before the fourth fruit of arhatship, one continuously subdues manas’s attachment to self. Beginning from attaining the first fruit and becoming a first-fruit practitioner, this subduing occurs gradually, bit by bit, until the fourth-stage arhat severs all self-attachment.

First-ground bodhisattvas begin to sever the attachment to dharmas bit by bit. To sever attachment to dharmas, one must attain the wisdom of the patient endurance of the non-arising of dharmas. In all dharmas, one realizes the characteristic of non-self, realizing that all dharmas lack autonomy and are all manifested by the eighth consciousness. Observing that indeed no self exists in any dharma, that none are the self, manas acknowledges that none of these dharmas are the self nor are they possessed by the self. Only then, bit by bit, can manas sever its grasping of all dharmas. Only when manas attains complete non-self, clinging to no dharma whatsoever, with a mind empty and pure, can one become a buddha.

25. All wealth is stored within the computer-like eighth consciousness. If manas does not function, wealth does not manifest. When manas seeks wealth, desires worldly dharmas of the three realms, or aspires to buddhahood, the eighth consciousness transports all wealth forth, supplying it for manas to enjoy. Manas, however, enjoys it through the six consciousnesses and the five-aggregate body. It regards the five-aggregate body and six consciousnesses as itself and as tools for its own use, just as the hands and feet serve the body. All dharmas serve manas; the eighth consciousness does not use them. It is manas that clings to all dharmas and needs all dharmas. Manas is the greatest self. If it ceases to regard itself as the self, ceases to regard the five-aggregate body and six consciousnesses as the self and its own, ceases to regard all dharmas as the self and its own, then all is well: attachment to self and dharmas are completely severed, and buddhahood is assured.

26. Sudden awakening occurs in two ways. On one hand, manas realizes suddenly and then informs the conscious mind; it is not gradually reasoned out by the conscious mind. On the other hand, the conscious mind continuously investigates, reasoning bit by bit, constantly infusing the results into manas, with each thought entering the mind of manas. There is a gradual process and mental preparation, until finally manas confirms it, the conscious mind becomes settled, and then one is overjoyed to the point of tears.

How can manas be made to accept the conscious mind’s understanding? Only by truly calming the mind and engaging in deep, meticulous contemplation can the conscious mind effectively influence manas, thereby persuading it. Calming the mind allows manas to function; when samādhi is present, manas can function and engage in contemplation and investigation together with the conscious mind. Otherwise, without samādhi, manas is agitated, the conscious mind is agitated, unable to contemplate meticulously, unable to influence manas, unable to transmit detailed information and data to manas. Manas is then unable to deliberate and investigate, unable to function as it should, unable to comprehend the principle, unable to confirm and directly realize the content of the conscious mind’s contemplation.

Only after direct realization can ignorance be eradicated and all dharmas transformed. Presently, it is all just understanding by the conscious mind. If manas does not realize, whether in worldly matters or Buddhist matters, no matter how deeply one may lament—even lamenting millions of times—afterward the lamenting ceases, and everything remains as before. If manas does not realize, one cannot transform bodily, verbal, and mental actions, nor gain the merit and benefit of liberation.

27. All contemplations corresponding to the first fruit regarding severing the view of self can be understood by those who have not attained the fruit. Many, upon understanding, believe they have attained the contemplation, thinking they have severed the view of self. Thus, some believe that understanding the principle of non-self is equivalent to severing the view of self, and they confirm their own attainment of the fruit. This is excessive self-trust, leading to grave false claims with severe consequences. Everyone is very self-confident, yet the result is blind faith, entirely due to the mischief of the inner self, a manifestation of heavy self-attachment.

Understanding non-self is merely the conscious mind’s comprehension; it does not even count as intellectual understanding, still far from the realization of manas. Sentient beings are thus foolish, difficult to guide; they do not listen to truth but rejoice in being exalted. Some, if told they are eighth-fruit beings, are extremely pleased; told the truth, they refuse to listen no matter what. Some, with severe greed, hatred, and delusion—worse than ordinary people—claim to be second-fruit beings. Sentient beings all love self-exaltation; there is no remedy.

Any other dharma also requires realization by manas; it is not enough for the conscious mind merely to understand. The achievement of all contemplations is realization, involving the participation of manas; it is manas’s realization. Truly understanding deeply within, being profoundly moved, constitutes realization to some degree. Truly recognizing the truth of a matter, causing changes in body and mind, is realization by manas to some degree. Since it is called realization to some degree, it is not necessarily complete and thorough; thus, realization also varies in degree and level. Extinguishing manas prevents buddhahood; only by eradicating manas’s ignorance can consciousness be transformed into wisdom. Manas must never be extinguished; only then can the five aggregates exist, and only by preserving the five aggregates can one become a buddha.

28. In the cultivation and realization of Consciousness-Only, manas is the core. Because the tathāgatagarbha requires no instruction from anyone and cannot be changed, one can only focus effort on manas. Changing manas changes a person, from an ordinary being to a buddha on the ground of fruition. Only by changing manas can all dharmas be changed.

All ignorance resides in manas. Eradicating manas’s ignorance results in buddhahood; changing manas changes the seeds; changing the seeds results in buddhahood. The ignorance of the conscious mind all originates from manas; consciousness and its ignorance depend on manas. Consciousness and its ignorance are easy to sever—not difficult at all. The difficulty lies entirely with manas. Therefore, the mental factors of manas cannot be so much fewer than those of consciousness; they should be similar to the mental factors of consciousness. With severely insufficient samādhi power and observational power, one cannot realize manas, much less observe the functioning of manas’s mental factors or its operational state in any dharma. Thus, unaware and unverified, one rashly denies manas’s various mental activities, insisting they are activities of the conscious mind.

If manas does not realize the dharma, it cannot eradicate ignorance; eradicating the conscious mind’s ignorance is useless and changes nothing. It now appears that any effort focused on the conscious mind is futile. The cultivation and realization of all dharmas must touch manas to resolve the fundamental problem. Once this line of thought is clarified and understood, there should be nothing more to say regarding the cultivation and realization of the Buddha Dharma.

29. When sitting quietly contemplating the Buddha Dharma, if one feels increasingly energetic and gradually overcomes drowsiness, this is a good sign, indicating that the dual practice of śamatha and vipaśyanā is effective. If, after rising from sitting, one can continue contemplation, it means the contemplation has successfully influenced manas, and manas has begun to diligently apply effort. If cultivation influences manas, it certainly possesses the merit of samādhi.

Any cultivation related to samādhi and manas will yield results, grounding it in the fundamental. If cultivation lacks samādhi, it cannot connect with manas, fails to influence manas, fails to take root in manas, and cannot generate diligence. The seven factors of enlightenment will not manifest, and one cannot realize the Buddha Dharma.

The crucial point of both worldly and transcendental dharmas lies in manas. Therefore, beyond manas, there is truly nothing more to discuss. The ultimate, essence, and root of all dharmas are the tathāgatagarbha and manas. Speaking of consciousness or other matters fails to address the root; it is like scratching an itch through a boot—not solving the fundamental problem. Cultivation must focus on manas. Cultivating only the conscious mind is superficial; one cannot transcend the desire realm or escape the three evil destinies and will remain under the control of the demon king.

The dharma of samādhi and manas is what the demon king fears and detests most. He dreads Buddhists attaining samādhi and transcending the desire realm; he dreads Buddhists cultivating manas and realizing the Buddha Dharma, escaping his control. Thus, he tries by all means to prevent Buddhists from cultivating samādhi and realizing the dharma. To attain liberation and avoid being controlled by the desire realm’s demons, we must diligently cultivate samādhi, strive to cultivate manas, and swiftly realize bodhi, embarking on the path to liberation.

30. Manas can also be influenced and conditioned by the incorrect contemplation of the conscious mind, leading to erroneous decisions. Since beginningless time, the conscious mind has been deceiving manas—intentionally or unintentionally—telling manas that the five aggregates are the self, that all dharmas belong to the self, that the world of the five aggregates is beautiful and joyful and should be pursued without relinquishment. The conscious mind acts as an evil teacher, causing manas to crave worldly sensual desires and cling to the five-aggregate self. Before and after severing the view of self, the conscious mind begins to act as manas’s good teacher and friend. After reforming itself, it helps manas reform, together subduing afflictions, eradicating ignorance, transforming consciousness into wisdom, and advancing hand in hand.

31. After the conscious mind ceases, what remains is what sentient beings regard as the self. This self is the true root of birth and death, possessing all afflictions and ignorance. Because of this self, there are the sufferings and painful experiences of birth and death for countless eons in future lives, all good and evil karmic actions in future lives, and various causes, conditions, and effects.

As this self is, so am I. If this self has no ignorance, I have no ignorance; if this self has no afflictions, I have no afflictions. Taking rebirth with a self free from ignorance, I am a buddha; taking rebirth with a self free from afflictions, I am an arhat or a bodhisattva who has entered the grounds; taking rebirth with a self possessing all afflictions, I am a complete ordinary being; taking rebirth with a self predominantly characterized by wholesome dharmas, I am a virtuous person; taking rebirth and cycling through existence with a self predominantly characterized by unwholesome dharmas, I am an evil person.

As this self originally is, so am I. May this self be free from all afflictions, thus saving many eons of arduous cultivation. May this self have more good and less evil, so I may have more good retribution and less evil retribution. I do not wish this self to lack wholesome dharmas or be incompatible with them; I wish this self to possess all wholesome dharmas.

I wish this self to be free from the view of self; I wish this self to be free from self-attachment; I wish this self to be free from self-conceit; I wish this self to be free from greed, hatred, and delusion; I wish this self not to be self-righteous; I wish this self to eliminate all ignorance; I wish this self to possess all wholesome dharmas; I wish this self to possess all merit and virtue; I wish this self to have vast wisdom; I wish this self to completely transform consciousness into wisdom; I wish this self to possess loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity; I wish this self to have vast vows; I wish this self to have compassion for all beings, abandoning none; I wish this self to be utterly non-self; I wish this self to possess immeasurable virtues and abilities; I wish this self to become the reliance of all beings.

In summary, I vow that this self will be as I wish: severed from all evil, endowed with all good. Therefore, studying Buddhism and cultivating is about focusing effort on this self, enabling this self to realize all dharmas and transform all dharmas. Focusing effort on the conscious mind is useless.

32. What dharma does the content contemplated by the conscious mind belong to? From where is it born? The dharmas contemplated by the conscious mind come from the tathāgatagarbha, precisely grasped by manas, induced by manas, and propelled by manas. Therefore, manas grasps dharmas first, and the conscious mind grasps dharmas afterward. Thus, it is possible for manas to realize dharmas first, followed by the conscious mind. After the conscious mind contemplates a dharma, it must transmit it moment by moment to manas. Manas then engages its own deliberation; when the deliberation is thorough, realization is attained.

How exactly the conscious mind contemplates the five aggregates as false, how this content arises—manas wishes to understand how the five aggregates are false. The eighth consciousness, complying with manas, gives rise to the conscious mind. The conscious mind contemplates and seeks evidence, finding evidence piece by piece and reporting it to manas for review. The conscious mind cannot make the final determination itself; it must be confirmed by manas. Manas reviews the evidence provided by the conscious mind, scrutinizes and deliberates upon it, and draws a conclusion, determining that the five aggregates are indeed false and non-self, without doubt, confirmed beyond question—this is realization. Manas then informs the conscious mind of the confirmed information, and the conscious mind settles, becoming certain without doubt.

After receiving the report, how must manas operate? It must engage its own deliberation, consideration, and verification before making the final decision. Sometimes, the conscious mind cannot reach a conclusion and hands the uncomprehended content to manas for investigation and research. Manas draws a final conclusion and lets the conscious mind know. Any conclusion manas reaches after its own consideration is firmly believed without doubt.

33. The fear of disappearing upon entering samādhi or of not returning—this is manas’s fear, because manas regards the five-aggregate body as the self and clings to its functions, fearing the five-aggregate self will vanish. To change this, the conscious mind must use reasoning to persuade manas not to cling to its five-aggregate body, as it is unreal. Therefore, severing the view of self requires manas to sever it; severing afflictions requires manas to sever them; severing ignorance requires manas to sever it. All afflictions pertain to manas; liberation is about resolving the problem of manas.

Numerous examples illustrate this issue. With insufficient samādhi power and insufficient wisdom power, one cannot recognize this. That manas is utterly foolish, yet it protects the conscious mind. Manas itself is on fire without knowing it, yet it goes to extinguish the conscious mind’s fire. The family property is completely burned, yet it lingers on the periphery. Sentient beings are thus devoid of wisdom.

34. After the six consciousnesses cease and no longer exist, the self that remains is manas. If manas has not severed the view of self, then the view of self still exists, and one remains an ordinary being with the view of self. At this time, the view of self is identical to that during wakefulness, with no difference. Because manas possesses the view of self, it believes that without seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing, it cannot perceive the six dusts or act within them. Thus, it gives rise to the intention to discern the objects of the six dusts. The tathāgatagarbha, complying, gives birth to the six consciousnesses. Seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing manifest; the five aggregates appear. Manas can then grasp the objects of the six dusts, grasp seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing, grasp the actions of the five aggregates, and thus becomes bound within the three realms, unable to attain liberation.

Therefore, to eradicate the view of self, manas must simultaneously eradicate it. Only after manas no longer possesses the view of self can various grasping tendencies lessen, the mind be liberated, and the wisdom of liberation arise. Even after death, the view of self remains the same as during life. Thus, with the view of self grasping the five-aggregate body, the intermediate state body and the five-aggregate bodies of future lives will continuously arise. Upon rebirth, the view of self remains the same as in the previous life; one remains an ordinary being, and manas still clings and craves as before. Therefore, sentient beings cycle through birth and death endlessly due to manas’s view of self, with karmic effects unceasing and birth and death continuous.

If the view of self vanished as soon as the six consciousnesses ceased, how wonderful that would be! Unfortunately, it cannot. Thus, merely having the conscious mind sever the view of self is useless; it does not solve the fundamental problem. One must find a way for manas to sever the view of self.

36. All wealth is stored within the computer-like eighth consciousness. If manas does not function, wealth does not manifest. When manas seeks wealth, desires worldly dharmas of the three realms, or aspires to buddhahood, the eighth consciousness transports all wealth forth, supplying it for manas to enjoy. Manas, however, enjoys it through the six consciousnesses and the five-aggregate body. It regards the five-aggregate body and six consciousnesses as itself and as tools for its own use, just as the hands and feet serve the body. All dharmas serve manas; the eighth consciousness does not use them. It is manas that clings to all dharmas and needs all dharmas. Manas is the greatest self. If it ceases to regard itself as the self, ceases to regard the five-aggregate body and six consciousnesses as the self and its own, ceases to regard all dharmas as the self and its own, then all is well: attachment to self and dharmas are completely severed, and buddhahood is assured. (To be continued)