Commentary on the Mahayana Manifestation of Consciousness Sutra

Original Text: Xianhu addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, although sentient beings know they possess consciousness, it is like a treasure locked in a box—unmanifested and unknown. World-Honored One, what is the form of this consciousness? Why is it called consciousness? When sentient beings die, their hands and feet thrash chaotically, their eyes change color, they lose self-control, their faculties perish, the elements separate, and consciousness departs from the body. Where does it go? What is its inherent nature? What form or appearance does it take? How does it abandon this body to receive another?"

Although many people study Buddhism, those with truly great virtuous karma are exceedingly rare. Eighty percent or even more will fall into the three evil paths. Even though they studied Buddhism in this lifetime, they still cannot avoid the three evil paths. This is because the virtuous karma they created in this life is very minor, while their evil karma from past and present lives is abundant and heavy. For example, if greed resides in the heart, heavy greed and stinginess will lead to rebirth in the hungry ghost realm. Furthermore, heavy karma of hatred and ignorance will lead respectively to rebirth in hell to receive retribution and rebirth as an animal to receive retribution. Among those who study Buddhism, these afflictions of evil karma are almost entirely uneliminated and unsubdued. The afflictions of greed, hatred, and ignorance only begin to be severed upon attaining the third fruit (Anāgāmi). Even upon attaining the first fruit (Sotāpanna), they still cannot be severed. However, upon attaining the first fruit, the three fetters are broken, and thus there is no longer the bondage of karma leading to the three evil paths; one will not be born into the three evil paths.

Some might say that the Buddhist sutras state that upholding the Five Precepts ensures rebirth in the human realm, and since they uphold the Five Precepts, they will surely attain human rebirth. However, this is not necessarily so. Firstly, one cannot correctly judge whether one has truly upheld the Five Precepts well. Secondly, even if one truly upheld the Five Precepts well, if evil conditions from past lives happen to ripen, then one must follow those evil conditions into the three evil paths, undergoing birth and death in the cycle of transmigration, with no choice. As for the merit of upholding the Five Precepts, one can only receive the virtuous retribution when the virtuous conditions ripen. Heavenly beings also uphold the Five Precepts. The devas of the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm—none of them violate the Five Precepts; they have committed no evil karma whatsoever. Yet, after death, many of them directly fall into hell. This indicates that the evil conditions for hell have ripened, and thus it cannot be avoided. When the heavenly beings' blessed rewards are exhausted, they descend into hell because the seeds of their evil karma from beginningless kalpas still exist. If the conditions for virtuous karma are minor, not yet ripened, or insufficiently powerful, they will still fall into the evil paths. Where sentient beings go upon death depends on which directing karma is most powerful and which karmic condition ripens first.

Although some people commit evil karma, if they can sincerely generate pure and great vows, and if the power of their virtuous vows at the time of death is greater than the force of their evil karma, they can be reborn into a virtuous path by relying on this great vow power. Therefore, for Buddhists, attaining the first fruit is an urgent matter. If one attains the first fruit in this life, one will attain the first fruit again in the next life, or perhaps the second fruit (Sakadāgāmi), and life after life, one will not suffer in the three evil paths. Later, by continuing to attain the third and fourth fruits, severing afflictions, one can achieve liberation of the mind and liberation of wisdom. The third fruit (Anāgāmi) involves severing two afflictions: greed and hatred. This requires cultivating to the first dhyāna (meditative absorption). Attaining the first dhyāna is, of course, somewhat difficult, but after attaining the first dhyāna, severing afflictions becomes less difficult.

However, many people claim they have severed greed, feeling as if they have no greed for worldly dharmas and are uninterested in all worldly affairs. Yet, in reality, they have not eradicated even a trace; that is merely a state of suppression, not a state of eradication. Because they have not eradicated the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) nor attained the first dhyāna, and have not cultivated away the five hindrances (pañca nīvaraṇāni), it is impossible for them to sever the affliction of greed. Others, having no manifest sexual activity, claim they have severed the affliction of sexual desire. In truth, that is merely a superficial suppression and restraint; psychologically, it is not severed. In the intermediate state (antarābhava), they will still take rebirth due to craving. As long as one takes rebirth due to male-female desire and obtains a physical body in the next life, greed has not been severed. Those who can truly sever greed will not take rebirth again—except for Bodhisattvas who have attained the first dhyāna or beyond.