The Intellectual Realization of Consciousness May Precipitate the Rapid Demise of Dharma

Consciousness alone knowing is intellectual understanding and awakening to the realization of Tathāgatagarbha; consciousness necessarily realizes it, but if only consciousness realizes it, it is not true realization. True realization requires that the manas simultaneously realizes it as well. If only consciousness realizes it, that is intellectual understanding. If only consciousness realizes it, then hearing others tell oneself what Tathāgatagarbha is, where it is, and what function it serves would constitute realization. If this counted as realization, we could inform all sentient beings what Tathāgatagarbha is and what function it serves. Then there would be no need for sentient beings to study the Mahayana Dharma, no need to engage in Chan meditation; all sentient beings would directly awaken and become bodhisattvas. Subsequently, the secret meanings at various levels and stages could also be directly told to sentient beings, and all sentient beings would directly realize them. How fast attaining Buddhahood would be then! Why didn’t the World-Honored One adopt this method, and why did he prohibit explicitly stating the secret meanings?

All dharmas are first understood and realized by consciousness, after which the manas can understand and realize them. This is because the manas lacks sufficient wisdom and must rely on the thinking capacity of consciousness. Regarding many dharmas, consciousness knows them, but the manas does not; the manas is not easily able to understand and realize them.

Modern people’s consciousness is too clever and easily grasps various principles, while their manas is severely obscured by greed, hatred, delusion, and afflictions, creating a stark contrast. If one becomes content with the understanding of consciousness alone, problems will arise, and Buddhism might quickly decline as a result. Before the emergence of The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, Buddhists all engaged in actual practice, cultivating concentration and Chan meditation, never indulging in empty talk. After The Platform Sutra appeared, the direction shifted. When people gathered, it was all empty talk because, after reading the contents of The Platform Sutra, they all felt they understood Chan Dharma and no longer needed to toil with Chan meditation, believing there was nothing left to cultivate. Thus, they merely engaged in eloquent but empty talk together, lacking any actual cultivation. People today are even more like this.