Weighing Advantages and Disadvantages, Gains and Losses with Wisdom

The eighth consciousness is like a spotlessly clean house. After the seven consciousnesses create karma, seeds are continuously stored into the eighth consciousness, and the house becomes filled with things. No matter what things are stored in it, the house itself remains spotlessly clean; yet the house plus the things is neither defiled nor pure (na saṃkleśo na vyavadānam). Another example: a spotlessly clean cup, with various kinds of water added—the cup with water is neither defiled nor pure. No matter what water is added, the cup remains a spotlessly clean cup. What we need to do is filter the impure water into pure water, so that both the cup and the water are clean.

A defiled mind is full of the selfish, self-serving self; its mental actions and karmic actions are very filthy, and do not correspond with the pure mind-substance of the eighth consciousness. If we want to transform ourselves, we must constantly condemn our own selfishness and self-centered mind, gradually correspond with the substance of the eighth consciousness, and gradually we can escape the suffering of the filthy cycle of the six realms of rebirth, turning toward the path of liberation and buddhahood. We should frequently observe our own mind; when we discover a selfish, self-serving mind, we must reflect and reproach ourselves—do not be soft-hearted, do not indulge or accommodate yourself. Be highly responsible toward yourself: think of your own birth and death, think of attaining liberation as soon as possible, think of freeing yourself.

As long as you settle and empty the self in your mind and correspond with no-self, you need not labor too strenuously in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the principle of no-self, and you can quickly realize no-self. The key is that the mind must be simple. A mind without self is a simple mind, a pure mind, an altruistic mind. A mind with self is a defiled mind, a filthy mind, and its result is harming yourself, making yourself suffer more in the cycle of birth and death.

We should have the wisdom to weigh the advantages and disadvantages, the gains and losses, of having a self versus having no self. If our mental conduct and behavior are for our own benefit, on the surface it seems we may gain something; even if we do gain, it is only a temporary worldly benefit, which vanishes without a trace once it is used up. But the benefit of transcendent liberation from the suffering of birth and death cannot be obtained—this is the most enduring, non-arising-and-ceasing fruit-virtue, which can be enjoyed for three immeasurable kalpas until buddhahood, and after becoming a Buddha it will never disappear, allowing us to enjoy it for endless eons without end. Which fruit do we ultimately want? Which retribution do we wish to receive?

The gaze of the wise should be cast further ahead—the further ahead, the wiser. Cast it to the next life, to future lives, to life after life, to immeasurable kalpas, and the returns will be ever greater and ever larger. Those without wisdom are short-sighted, considering only the tiny immediate benefit of the individual, which they may not even obtain. They exhaust their thoughts and minds over this small benefit, scheming to the utmost, and may even lose their very lives for it.