What Does It Mean That a Bodhisattva of the First Bhūmi Permanently Subdues Fundamental Afflictions Like an Arhat?

"Nature" refers to the inherent nature of sentient beings, which is fundamentally the nature of the mind of the mental faculty (manas) and its associated mental factors. Precisely because the nature of the mind of the mental faculty is unwholesome, it perpetually obstructs sentient beings from realizing supreme bodhi. Therefore, only by eliminating the hindrances of the mental faculty's nature can one accomplish the Buddha Way.

Bodhisattvas at the First Ground begin to gradually eliminate all afflictive habits of the mental faculty, yet it is impossible to eradicate them completely. While unable to fully eliminate them, certain afflictive hindrances that influence birth and death within the three realms must be subdued. On the other hand, if the manifest afflictions of the mental faculty were completely severed, it would result in the complete abandonment of self-grasping, just like a fourth-fruit arhat, leading to entry into the remainderless nirvana, which would prevent the accomplishment of the Buddha Way. The Buddha instructs Bodhisattvas from the First to the Seventh Ground not to enter the definitive stage of the liberation path—that is, not to attain the fruition of a fourth-fruit arhat—lest they inadvertently enter the remainderless nirvana.

Thus, Bodhisattvas at the First Ground must retain a trace of craving to ensure they can still take birth within the three realms. However, they cannot retain severe craving; only a slight, subtle craving is permissible. It suffices to have a little craving for things like meditative concentration, or one may have craving for the Mahayana Dharma. This means perpetually suppressing the craving of the mental faculty rather than eradicating it completely. Only in this way can they benefit themselves and others life after life, ultimately attaining Buddhahood without entering the remainderless nirvana.