What is the difference between the cessation of the six consciousnesses in nirvāṇa and the cessation of the six consciousnesses in the meditative absorption of no-perception (asaṃjñā-samāpatti) and the attainment of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti)?

In nirvāṇa, not only do the six consciousnesses cease; the crucial cessation is that of the manas. In the concentration of no-perception (asaṃjñā-samāpatti), although the six consciousnesses cease, the manas still remains, and the five universal mental factors are still operating, so it is a state with mind. In the cessation concentration (nirodha-samāpatti), the six consciousnesses have ceased, and the manas still remains, but the five universal mental factors have extinguished the functions of feeling and perception; it is half-with-mind, and when it is entirely without mind, that is nirvāṇa.

The cessation of the six consciousnesses is divided into temporary cessation and permanent cessation. In the concentration of no-perception and the cessation concentration, the six consciousnesses cease temporarily because the manas temporarily does not engage with objects. However, the manas has not relinquished the world of the five aggregates, so it will still allow the six consciousnesses to arise and emerge from concentration. During sleep, the six consciousnesses cease because the manas needs the physical body to rest; this is temporary, and as long as the mind of the manas does not cease, it will allow the six consciousnesses to arise and wake up again. In a coma, it is because the physical body has developed an obstruction: the supreme faculty (rūpa-prasāda) cannot normally receive the six sense-objects, and the six consciousnesses cannot continue to discern. Yet the manas still wishes to possess the functions of the six consciousnesses and the functions of the physical body, so when the obstruction of the physical body disappears, the manas will still prompt the six consciousnesses to arise. At death, when the four great elements separate, the objects of the six sense-dusts can no longer be transmitted into the supreme faculty, and the functions of the six consciousnesses can no longer be sustained; only then, having no alternative, does the manas leave the body of the five aggregates and produce the neutrino-body (antarā-bhava) to continue using the functions of the six consciousnesses—this is the passive behavior of the manas.

The arising of the nirvāṇa state, however, occurs because the manas no longer has any mental activity; the six consciousnesses can no longer continue to operate and thus cease, and the manas itself also ceases—this is the active behavior of the manas.

The six consciousnesses are like the wind over an ocean of objects, able to blow upon the great ocean of the ālayavijñāna and stir up the waves of the seven consciousnesses. The objects discerned by the mind consciousness are transmitted into the manas, and the manas is thereby perfumed, thus giving rise to thoughts and intentions; the ocean of the mind surges with waves and is no longer calm. Therefore, when the mind consciousness no longer continues to discriminate, the manas settles into purity and gradually turns toward nirvāṇa.

The same principle applies when sentient beings are reborn in the land of bliss (Sukhāvatī): the mind consciousness, over a long period in the land of bliss, does not come into contact with defiled objects similar to those of the Saha world, so the mind settles into purity and no longer perfumes the manas with unwholesome dharmas. When the mind consciousness is pure, the manas also becomes pure. Once the manas is pure and accords with the land of bliss, it will emerge from the lotus flower to see the Buddha and hear the Dharma, and awaken to non-arising.