The Wisdom of Seeing the Path in the Great Vehicle

When the mind consciousness and the manas, through investigating Chan, realize the eighth consciousness, they can observe the simple functioning of the eighth consciousness, which has no discriminating nature toward the six sense objects. In this way, one attains the wisdom of seeing the path of the Mahāyāna. On the one hand, one observes how the eighth consciousness gives rise to the five aggregates, and realizes that the five aggregates are empty and without self; on the other hand, one realizes that the eighth consciousness is a mind-essence that neither arises nor ceases, yet can give birth to the arising-and-ceasing body of the five aggregates—that it is the true self, and this self is of a selfless nature. In the process of investigating Chan with strong meditative concentration and deep questioning doubt, one gradually eliminates the five aggregates and the eighteen realms, denies their reality, and thereby confirms their selfless nature, eliminating the self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi) and attaining the purity of the Dharma eye of the Small Vehicle. At that point, seeing the path of the Mahāyāna is not far off. As for eliminating the obstruction of afflictions and the obstruction to the knowable (jñeyāvaraṇa), those are goals of subsequent cultivation—matters that come after the arising of the first dhyāna, and also matters that come after the stage of the ten dedications.