What Manas Is Is What You Are

Contacting and understanding the Dharma of the manas, how many detours have been avoided, how many kalpas of arduous cultivation time have been saved, and how many eons of suffering have been spared! The path of cultivation entirely lies within the manas. Without understanding the manas, one cannot truly grasp the Dharma of Buddhahood or the path to Buddhahood in their heart. Remaining only at the level of consciousness, constantly obsessing over consciousness—once consciousness ceases, what am I? This is something everyone should carefully contemplate. Only by adjusting and rectifying the original state of the manas can one transform themselves, attain liberation, purify karmic seeds, and ultimately achieve Buddhahood. Often ask yourself in your heart: Once consciousness ceases, what am I? In reality, what the manas is, that is what you are.

When an emperor seeks to appoint a crown prince, hoping the prince will prosper the family and protect the nation, one son is healthy while the other is ill, with uncertain survival. Which son would the emperor appoint as crown prince? Only when the emperor is foolish would he appoint the son with uncertain survival, hoping he would continue the lineage and safeguard the nation. Similarly, among Buddhists, only the confused place all their hopes on the conscious mind, thinking it sufficient for the consciousness to attain fruition or for the consciousness to realize the mind and know the Tathagatagarbha. But after the consciousness ceases, wouldn’t one still be an ordinary being?

There are also those who say: “The manas does not need to sever the view of self; it can directly sever self-attachment.” To sever self-attachment without first severing the view of self is also an invention—the key is whether such an invention is feasible. Others claim: “Without the manas realizing the mind and attaining the Tathagatagarbha, one can directly transform consciousness into wisdom and become a Buddha directly.” This is an even greater invention—the key is what use such an invention serves. If these inventions were all feasible, then learning Buddhism would be too easy and effortless, achievable in no time; one would only need to tinker with the conscious mind, and reciting the Tripitaka and the twelve divisions of Buddhist scriptures would lead to Buddhahood. Yet, in reality, attaining Buddhahood requires three great immeasurable kalpas to eliminate all ignorance until it is completely severed—it is exceedingly difficult.