The Principle of How the Elimination of Self-View Prevents Falling into the Three Evil Destinies

After a person who has eliminated self-view (ahaṃkāra-mamakāra-parityāga) realizes the first fruit, they will no longer fall into the three evil destinies. Why is this so? Because their mind has changed; the mind no longer accords with the karma of the three evil destinies, and they will no longer create the karmic actions of the three evil destinies, and thus will no longer fall into the three evil destinies to suffer. When the mind realizes no-self, it becomes empty; a person whose mind is empty cannot possibly create the karmic actions of the three evil destinies. What are the karmic actions of the three evil destinies? They are the karmic actions that violate the five precepts and the karmic actions that violate the ten wholesome deeds. Only by upholding the five precepts can one obtain a human body and not the body of beings in the three evil destinies; only by upholding the ten wholesome deeds can one obtain a human or heavenly body and not the body of beings in the three evil destinies. The mental conduct of a person who has eliminated self-view and realized the fruit will certainly accord with the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds; only thus can they be exempted from the karma and bodies of the three evil destinies.

So this mind that has eliminated self-view, this mind that accords with the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, this mind that does not accord with the karma of the three evil destinies—which mind is it? The mind consciousness is certainly such a mind, and the manas, which is the most crucial, should absolutely be such a mind. Moreover, the manas is a mind that operates without interruption. Only after self-view has been eliminated will the manas uninterruptedly possess the merit of the combined path of vipaśyanā and śamatha. At any time—whether sleeping, unconscious, dying, or in the antarā-bhava—the merit of having eliminated self-view is present in one's being, and one will take rebirth, be conceived, and enter the womb by means of this merit. Therefore, whatever mental conduct the manas has, whatever karma it carries, there will be a corresponding embryonic body. If one wishes not to enter the three evil destinies, it is necessary for the manas to eliminate self-view and be endowed with all such merits. With only the mind consciousness's wisdom of hearing the Dharma, wisdom of inference, wisdom of speculation, and the wisdom of emotional thinking and intellectual understanding, there is absolutely no guarantee of eliminating the manifest activity of coarse afflictions (dausthulya), no guarantee of not creating the karmic actions of the three evil destinies, no guarantee of not violating the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, and thus no guarantee of not falling into the three evil destinies at the end of life.