Watching the Marks of Rain After Attaining the Way

Question: Is it that only after realizing the Path, when one sees the appearance of rain, does the mind naturally not dwell on the appearance of rain, while still knowing it is raining, yet without attachment? Whereas before realizing the Path, one easily dwells on it, unless something else shifts one's attention, or one simply does not care about the rain. The ordinary being's original system is like a camera—it must leave a negative imprint in the mind.

Answer: So-called non-attachment and non-dwelling must be an inner skill exercised when facing the appearance of rain and all appearances. Avoiding appearances precisely demonstrates the inability to be free from attachment to signs and from dwelling on signs. After enlightenment, bodhisattvas at the Three Stages of Worthiness still attach to the appearance of rain when they see it, only more lightly than before. Only from the first bhūmi onward can one gradually cease to attach to the appearance of rain, and it is not until the eighth bhūmi that a bodhisattva truly no longer attaches to the appearance of rain or to any other appearances.

Therefore, after enlightenment one must accomplish the transformation of the basis as tathāgatagarbha, and only at the first bhūmi can genuine transformation of the basis be spoken of, because by then the sixth and seventh consciousnesses have both been transformed into wisdom—this is the hallmark of the transformation of the basis. Only at the eighth bhūmi can a bodhisattva accomplish the transformation of the basis to a great extent, yet it is still not ultimate. Pre-bhūmi bodhisattvas (pūrvabhūmika bodhisattvas) shout about transformation of the basis, but because they still have afflictions, they cannot accomplish the transformation of the basis; whereas tathāgatagarbha has no afflictions. Are the sixth and seventh consciousnesses similar in mind-nature to tathāgatagarbha? Not at all, because their defilement is heavy. Only by shouting the slogan all the way to the first bhūmi does one correspond to it in part. As for those who have not awakened, shouting such slogans is pure nonsense—they cannot even see clearly their own face, yet they exalt themselves by speaking of transformation of the basis. Before one has found something to rely upon, what can one rely on? And one cannot exalt oneself; only tathāgatagarbha and cause and effect can exalt one, and only then can one be lifted up.