Can the Method of Elimination Lead to Seeing One's True Mind?

What is the process of elimination? For example, one establishes a target in one's mind, and within the range one has selected, one eliminates all objects that differ from the target; whatever remains is then established as the target in one's mind. Regardless of whether the selected range is comprehensive or not, as long as one confirms it oneself, one takes it to be so. The method for seeing one's true mind and realizing the fruit is thus extremely simple.

Even a dog, once trained, can use the process of elimination to find the object its master designates; other animals can learn it with a bit of training too, because this does not require much brainpower, takes no effort, requires no roots of goodness or merit, no meditative concentration (samādhi), no keeping of precepts, and no diligent cultivation of the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment. Even a completely uneducated person, under someone's hints, could "see the true mind and realize the fruit." For instance, the master spreads out three cards—A, B, and C—in front of the dog and asks it to point out which one is C. The dog first points to A; the master shakes his head and says no. So the dog points to B; the master shakes his head again and says no. Finally, one card remains—without thinking, one knows the remaining one must be C, so the dog naturally points to C, and the master says, "Correct this time." The dog is delighted, feels itself quite capable, and even receives a bone as a reward from its master.

Using the process of elimination to find the eighth consciousness works the same way. There are only eight consciousnesses in total. The six consciousnesses that know the six sense objects are certainly not the eighth consciousness, so six are eliminated at once, leaving only the manas and the eighth consciousness. Ordinary people really cannot observe the manas and do not know what it is; even if you tell them it is the one that constantly and everywhere makes the decisions, they still cannot find the manas. Finding the manas is extremely difficult, let alone observing its discriminating nature. So they eliminate the manas and stop looking for it, seeking only the eighth consciousness alone. What is the eighth consciousness like? Quite a few people know that the eighth consciousness does not discriminate the six sense objects, so they search here and there and finally find some "thing" that seems not to discriminate the six sense objects. They imagine that this thing seems to have a discriminating nature, and what it discriminates seems not to be the six sense objects. As for what exactly it discriminates, they really cannot observe it, because only those who, after enlightenment, possess the wisdom of specific characteristics and the wisdom of the varieties of paths can observe the discriminating nature of the eighth consciousness and know what the eighth consciousness actually discriminates. Ordinary beings simply have no way to observe the discriminating nature of the eighth consciousness, except by guessing and imagining based on theory. Finally, they think it over and conclude that the eighth consciousness seems to discriminate the faculties, the body, and the material world, because the sūtras and treatises all say so—so "that must be it, no mistake." Then they hurriedly and happily confirm it, feeling as if they no longer have any doubt, and claim to have eliminated the three fetters.

If such intelligence is not innate, then water must have gotten into the brain at some point later in life—such a person is inferior even to a child with a somewhat more developed brain. How could such a person be a bodhisattva single-mindedly cultivating and realizing the bodhisattva path? Simple-minded to the extreme. If they had encountered the patriarchs of the past, with the patriarchs' directness, they would not have said a single word to them—they would have struck them with a big stick until their heads split open. How dare they wreak havoc on the Chan school? Kindergarten-level intelligence—there is simply no educating them. If I were not concerned with the rise and fall of the Chan school, I would not deign even to glance at such people. But alas, seeing the true mind in the Chan school is the most crucial point in the practice of the Buddha's teaching, the vital gate of life and death for sentient beings, the place of refuge and liberation for countless beings in this life and future lives. If someone destroys this gate, sentient beings will never again be able to leap through the dragon gate like the carp.

Even a follower of the school who relies on intellectual understanding is far more honorable than this process of elimination. The process of elimination does not require much intellectual understanding or much intelligence—it is like picking beans: just pick out the bad beans, and all the rest are good beans. How simple. Why bother cultivating the four foundations of mindfulness, the seven factors of enlightenment, the eightfold noble path, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal powers, the five faculties and five powers? No need to receive or keep precepts, no need to cultivate meditative concentration—no meditative power of any kind is needed. A bean-picking job does not require all this trouble; all those conditions the Buddha spoke of are superfluous. Those of the very highest spiritual faculties need not abide by what the Buddha said.

Shenhui, the thirteen-year-old young monk under the Sixth Patriarch's seat, was clever, quick-witted, and deeply endowed with roots of goodness. With an earnest longing for the Dharma, he climbed over mountains and traveled a thousand miles to find the Sixth Patriarch and seek the Way, yet the Sixth Patriarch only certified him as a follower of the school who relied on intellectual understanding. At that time the Chan tradition was flourishing to such an extent, and there were so many enlightened patriarchs and good spiritual teachers; yet Shenhui lived to be ninety-six and was still a follower relying on intellectual understanding. He wrote quite a few works, and spent his life battling the Northern School of Monk Shenxiu's gradual-cultivation faction over the lineage. Which person today has the seeking spirit and the roots of goodness and merit that Monk Shenhui had? Yet they dream of using the process of elimination to find the eighth consciousness and surpass Monk Shenhui. The eighth consciousness will not let you find it this way. By speculative guessing you might indeed "guess" it out, but that is drawing a cake to satisfy hunger—it will never fill you up. In short, please recognize one fact: the Dharma-ending age is, after all, the Dharma-ending age. Do not indulge in vain fantasies. Seeking truth from facts is wholesome; indulging in fantasy is unwholesome.