On the Transformation of Consciousness into Wisdom

The Buddha-bhūmi Sūtra says: There are five dharmas that encompass the ground of great awakening, namely the pure dharma realm, the great perfect mirror wisdom (ādarśajñāna), the wisdom of equality, the wisdom of wonderful observation, and the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done. What is the relationship between the pure dharma realm and the four wisdoms that follow?

After attaining buddhahood, the four wisdoms are perfectly clear. First, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses undergo the third transformation of consciousness into wisdom; the five sense consciousnesses undergo the first and also the last transformation of consciousness into wisdom; and the eighth consciousness undergoes the first and also the last transformation of consciousness into wisdom. The mind consciousness is transformed into the wisdom of wonderful observation, the seventh consciousness (manas) into the wisdom of equality, the five sense consciousnesses into the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done, and the eighth consciousness into the great perfect mirror wisdom. First, the mind consciousness is transformed from consciousness into wisdom: the defiled mind originally possessing ignorance and afflictions is transformed into the wisdom of wonderful observation, which is free from the obstruction of afflictions. When there is defilement of afflictions, there is obstruction, which hinders the arising of wisdom, making the power of observation coarse and not subtle, and the wisdom shallow.

If the mind consciousness's power of observation is shallow and not subtle, it cannot convey the profound true reality of all dharmas to the manas for the manas to know. Then the manas's view of self in dharmas cannot be eliminated, and as long as there is a self in the mind, there is no wisdom of equality. Therefore, only when the mind consciousness first eliminates afflictions and possesses the wisdom of wonderful observation can the manas eliminate afflictions and realize a certain degree of selflessness of dharmas, thereby attaining the wisdom of equality, observing that sentient beings are equal and identical to oneself, and equal and identical to the Buddha, seeing no distinction of high or low among dharmas.

When the sixth and seventh consciousnesses undergo the third transformation of consciousness into wisdom, the transformation is ultimate and thorough: ignorance is completely severed. The five sense consciousnesses are transformed into the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done, accomplishing all dharmas. The ignorance and defilement of the seventh consciousness stored in the eighth consciousness are ultimately and completely severed, and it is transformed into the great perfect mirror wisdom. At this point, the metamorphosis is complete: a sentient being in the causal stage has transformed into a buddha in the stage of fruition.

Because in the great perfect mirror wisdom there are no longer any karmic seeds of ignorance and defilement, the mind-ground of the eight consciousnesses is entirely supremely pure. All dharmas born from the pure mind throughout the dharma realm are pure: the six faculties, six sense objects, six consciousnesses, the Buddha's land, and the material world are all purified along with the pure mind, without a single trace of defilement. "As the mind is purified, the Buddha's land is pure"—this is precisely the principle.