Only by Removing the Ignorance of the Manas Can Karma Be Eliminated

Rivers and mountains may change, but nature is hard to alter. "Rivers and mountains may change" refers to the mind consciousness; "nature is hard to alter" refers to the manas. As long as the manas does not change, no dharma can change it—everything remains as it has always been. If the fundamental nature is not changed, even if the rivers and mountains change, they will change back and arise again.

The seeds of the five great elements never change and exist perpetually, including the seed of the consciousness element and the seed of the seeing element. For karmic seeds to be changed, the manas must change first; if the manas does not change, the karmic seeds cannot be changed. Therefore, to purify karma, the ignorance of the manas must be removed—only then can karma be purified. Karma exists only because of the ignorance of the manas; without ignorance there is no karma. And for the ignorance of the manas to be removed, the manas must recognize the truth and reality, eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), and realize ultimate reality. For a particular karma to be eliminated, the manas must repent; repentance by the mind consciousness alone is useless.