Mahāyāna Sūtra on the Manifestation of Consciousness (5)

Therefore, the Dharma of the Hīnayāna arhat is not the ultimate Dharma; it can only be studied and practiced for a period of time. We bodhisattvas who study the Mahāyāna Dharma—although the cultivation and realization of Hīnayāna Dharma is unavoidably necessary—we do not take the path to nirvāṇa. After one's own accomplishment, one must still benefit others; this is the bodhisattva's aspiration. The bodhisattva's mind is vast and expansive: not only does one seek to liberate oneself, but also to liberate all sentient beings who suffer the same cycle of rebirth as oneself, so that they too may attain ultimate liberation. This is the conduct of the great-minded bodhisattva; hence bodhisattvas are also called great-minded sentient beings.

"Having already cut off the suffering of the existence of transmigrating birth-and-death"—the arhats have already severed the suffering of birth-and-death as they transmigrate through the three realms. "Existence" includes the existence of the desire realm, the existence of the form realm, and the existence of the formless realm; that is, the desire realm has the dharmas of the desire realm, the form realm has the dharmas of the form realm, and the formless realm has the dharmas of the formless realm. The "existence" of these three realms is all suffering. Not only are the three evil destinies suffering, our human realm is also suffering. What about the devas? They likewise have suffering. Is there no suffering amid "pleasure"? There is suffering even within pleasure, and moreover this so-called "pleasure" is itself a kind of suffering; after the pleasure passes, there is suffering too. The suffering spoken of by the Buddha includes three kinds: the suffering of suffering, the suffering of formations, and the suffering of decay. Although the devas do not have the suffering of suffering, they still have the suffering of formations and the suffering of decay, because their kind of pleasure is not permanent and cannot be retained; it will sooner or later vanish—this kind of suffering is called "the suffering of formations." When the feeling of pleasure disappears, it is called "the suffering of decay." Especially at the end of life, the devas will manifest the five signs of decay: first, the body becomes foul and malodorous; second, the flower crown withers; third, dust falls upon the garments; fourth, sweat appears under both armpits. The deva's body becomes foul and stinking, and no deva is willing to approach him; they all avoid and keep away from him. The jeweled throne in heaven can no longer be sat upon, and the flower crown on the head withers. Originally their garments were always clean and never gathered dust, but now dust appears on the clothes, and a sweaty odor arises from both armpits. When these signs appear, it indicates that the deva's life is about to end and that he is about to undergo suffering; this is called the devas' "manifestation of the five signs of decay." The arhats have already completely severed the suffering of birth-and-death existence within these three realms; in the future they will no longer undergo the feelings of the suffering of birth-and-death, and will no longer take rebirth in the three realms.

"With the power of correct wisdom, they well know where the minds of sentient beings tend." The arhats cultivate the Four Noble Truths of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path, attain the wisdom of liberation, and are endowed with the wisdom of all things (sarvākārajñatā). With this wisdom, they can truthfully observe the mental activities of sentient beings and where exactly they tend. By seeing the dharmas that sentient beings crave and delight in, they can know which of the six destinies a sentient being will tend toward at the end of life, and can also know whether a sentient being can attain liberation and enter nirvāṇa without remainder. The minds of most sentient beings are attached to the worldly dharmas of the three realms; in the future they cannot escape the bondage of worldly dharmas, and all must undergo the bondage of the six sense objects, tending toward the six destinies, tending toward the worldly five aggregates, tending toward the six sense objects of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, unable to escape the cycle of birth-and-death.