Only When Consciousness and Manas Attain the Same State Can Realization Be Achieved

A telescope can instantly see mountains and oceans several kilometers or even dozens of kilometers away. However, to personally see and touch those mountains and oceans, one must traverse dozens of kilometers on foot, arriving at the foot of the mountain or the edge of the sea, to witness the mountains and oceans with one's own eyes, to touch them, and only then can one know their appearance and visage. Only then can one tell others: "I saw that mountain and that ocean with my own eyes; it was truly magnificent. My state of mind instantly opened up, and I was utterly overjoyed." The state of samadhi is analogous to this. The manas must personally arrive, abandoning the telescope, and see with its own eyes; only then is there the samadhi of equal cultivation of concentration and wisdom. If the manas does not arrive, that is seeing with the aid of a telescope; it is not true seeing, not unconditional seeing, not naked seeing.

Consciousness is like a telescope. No matter how far the realm it gazes upon, what it sees is not real; the realm is blurred and indistinct. What the manas sees is clear, lucid, penetrating to the very source of phenomena. If the manas does not catch up, failing to perceive what consciousness sees, it is not seeing with one's own eyes, not personally arriving at the present realm, not personal realization. Because what consciousness sees is distant from the realm, what is seen is not real, as if separated by a layer of lens, obstructed and obscured. The scenery is neither detailed nor clear, merely an outline. The details must await the manas to personally go and see before they can be investigated and understood.

In the state of an ordinary being, consciousness reads some Buddhist sutras and learns of the Buddha's realm, but if the manas does not know it, it is not personal realization of the Buddha's realm. This kind of knowing is incomparably crude, practically indistinguishable from not knowing. To personally realize the Buddha's realm, to know it finely, deeply, and truly, one must cultivate for another three great asamkhyeya kalpas, that is, three immeasurable kalpas. There are no shortcuts in between; all the dharmas that should be cultivated must be cultivated, all the dharmas that should be realized must be realized. Precepts, concentration, wisdom; the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment; the six paramitas of the bodhisattva—every kind of practice cannot be omitted. The entire intermediate process must be personally experienced; cutting corners or taking shortcuts is absolutely unacceptable.

In the state of an ordinary being, consciousness learns some Dharma and knows the effortless practice realm that an eighth-ground bodhisattva should possess—the ability to function spontaneously in the Dharma without mental effort, to directly perceive how the tathagatagarbha cognizes and operates the sense faculties, body, and the material world. However, regarding this realm, consciousness may know it, but its knowing is extremely crude. It is still two immeasurable kalpas of cultivation and realization away from actual attainment. During this period, no matter what you say, you cannot directly observe how the tathagatagarbha ultimately cognizes and operates the sense faculties, body, and material world. To personally realize this state, you must cultivate for another two great asamkhyeya kalpas. The intermediate process must be fully traversed; no shirking or trickery is allowed.

In the state of an ordinary being, consciousness learns the term "tathata samadhi" and feels it is excellent and supreme, but specifically what tathata samadhi is, what its realm is like, the mind knows nothing about it. What is known and seen is merely a figment of imagination. To personally see the realm of tathata samadhi, one needs to cultivate for another immeasurable kalpa, that is, one great asamkhyeya kalpa. Because tathata samadhi is the realm of tathata, realized upon all dharmas, seeing all dharmas or part of dharmas as the nature of tathata, as the true and thusness nature of the tathagatagarbha, all being part of the one true Dharma realm.

How all dharmas are ultimately of the nature of tathata, how they are all one true Dharma realm—this is the realm of the wisdom of the path (margajnana) and the wisdom of consciousness-only (vijnaptimatratajnana). It is a state that only bodhisattvas above the first ground, who have entered the Tathagata's family, have the capacity to directly observe. Bodhisattva-mahasattvas above the first ground partially realize the dharmakaya, partially realize Buddhahood, partially realize the one true Dharma realm, and only then know part of the tathata nature of all dharmas. Even if an ordinary being truly realizes the tathagatagarbha, they are still far too distant from the wisdom realm of tathata samadhi. They can only think about it; they absolutely cannot see it. When they see it, they will possess the wisdom of the path (margajnana) and become a great bodhisattva who has entered the grounds.

In the state of an ordinary being, consciousness studies the Diamond Sutra and knows that all dharmas are like a dream, a bubble, a shadow. However, no matter how much consciousness feels that all dharmas are like a dream, bubble, or shadow, one must still undergo nearly an asamkhyeya kalpa of cultivation, reaching the stage of the ten practices of dedication (dasabhumika), to personally realize the dreamlike realm. In between, one must gradually realize the tathagatagarbha, initiate various samadhis, cultivate the first dhyana, eradicate the manifest activity of greed, hatred, and delusion, become a third-fruition saint (anagamin), pass the three barriers of Chan Buddhism, directly realize the remnant nirvana (sopadhisesa-nirvana), and upon death, possess the ability to enter the nirvana without remnant (nirupadhisesa-nirvana) yet choose not to enter, retaining one portion of the affliction of discursive thought (vicikitsa-klesa) to sustain the body of the five aggregates (pancaskandha) life after life, continuing to liberate oneself and others. Without meeting these conditions, without passing through these realms, what consciousness feels to be like a dream, illusion, bubble, or shadow is merely like talking about food—how could it satisfy hunger?

What the telescope of consciousness sees may be vastly different from what the manas sees with its own eyes. Seeing with the telescope is easy and fast, but personal realization requires the manas to measure step by step with its feet, personally walking to the edge of that realm before it can see that realm. It is extremely arduous, demanding immense cost and effort. The realms seen by the two are highly inconsistent. Therefore, seeing with the telescope is one thing; realization requires a considerable length of time to be possible. Before realization, one can only indulge in empty talk, merely speaking about it. Do not think realizing any Dharma is easy; that is an illusion. In reality, it is not like that; it is extremely difficult. The karmic obstacles of immeasurable kalpas are immense, like a mountain; how could they be so easily eliminated or overcome? Although the Buddha's power of blessing is inconceivable, one's own karmic power is equally inconceivable. Only when karmic obstacles are eliminated, and the causes and conditions of virtuous roots and merit are fully complete, does the manas draw close to consciousness, merging with what consciousness sees. Only then can there be sudden enlightenment. Apart from this, all is mistaken error.