The Connotation of Transforming Consciousness into Wisdom

The transformation of consciousness into wisdom mainly refers to the transformation of the seventh consciousness into wisdom. The seventh consciousness has the consciousness-nature of ignorance, lacking wisdom, or having only shallow wisdom; therefore it is necessary to extinguish the ignorance and afflictions of the seventh consciousness, give rise to great wisdom, and thereby transform consciousness into wisdom. After the seventh consciousness has completely severed ignorance and transformed consciousness into wisdom, the defiled seeds stored in the tathāgatagarbha or in the Ālayavijñāna are completely eradicated, no longer dragging down the tathāgatagarbha-Ālayavijñāna, no longer restricting the functions and operations of the tathāgatagarbha-Ālayavijñāna. At that point, the tathāgatagarbha-Ālayavijñāna will radiate great light, fully unfolding all of its own functions and operations, becoming the great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna); by expedient means this is described as the tathāgatagarbha-Ālayavijñāna transforming consciousness into wisdom.

The consciousness-nature of the conscious mind is the nature of ignorance, folly, affliction, obstruction, and grasping; its wisdom is shallow, and when it sees dharmas it often falls into the marks of dharmas. It lacks the wisdom of consciousness-only (Yogācāra) and does not recognize the true face of dharmas. After seeing the mind, one gradually attains meditative concentration, severs afflictions, removes obstructions, and successively passes through the final barrier (laoguan). Within nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), at the end of life one has the ability to enter nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa) but does not enter. Subsequently, one passes through the contemplation of things being like a dream, studies consciousness-only, and after acquiring a portion of the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only (唯识种智), when seeing dharmas one will know their consciousness-only nature and know the substance of dharmas, no longer falling into worldly dharma-marks. Wisdom then undergoes a qualitative leap, and thus the sixth and seventh consciousnesses transform consciousness into wisdom, entering the home of the Tathāgata, becoming true children of the Buddha, able to perpetuate the Buddha's lineage and spread the teaching far and wide.

The prerequisites for transforming consciousness into wisdom are: one must have realized the fruits, and moreover must be at the third fruit (anāgāmin) or above; one must have meditative concentration, and moreover concentration of the first dhyāna or above; one must have seen the mind and attained realization, possessing not only the general-characteristic wisdom of the dharmadhātu but also posterior wisdom (后得智), being able to observe in detail, in present actuality, the operations of the tathāgatagarbha within the five-aggregate body, and one must also have a portion of the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only. Therefore, without meditative concentration, do not talk about realization, do not talk about wisdom, and even less talk about transforming consciousness into wisdom—at most one has a "dry wisdom" that solves no actual problems.

The initial transformation of consciousness into wisdom occurs at the bodhisattva fruit of the first bhūmi, entering through the door into the house, entering the home of the Tathāgata, becoming a true child of the Buddha—that is, the Buddha's own son. The implication is that before the first bhūmi, no one is the Buddha's own child, including the great arhats of the fourth fruit and the pratyekabuddhas. The reason is that they have not transformed consciousness into wisdom; their consciousness-nature exceeds their wisdom-nature, their power of wisdom (prajñā-bala) in contemplating all dharmas is insufficient, and in contemplating all dharmas, their grasp of the existence of all dharmas outweighs their grasp of the emptiness of all dharmas.

In the study and practice of the Buddha-dharma, transforming consciousness into wisdom is a very high threshold, involving both the power of meditative concentration and the power of wisdom; only when both have power is one able to calmly step over this threshold. The power of concentration must possess the meditative power of the first dhyāna or above; the power of wisdom must possess the wisdom-power of contemplating emptiness, including the emptiness of self with regard to persons and a portion of the emptiness of no-self with regard to dharmas. Other conditions, such as the bodhisattva's power of merit, self-discipline, mental disposition, compassion for sentient beings, and power of vows, must all be complete before one can transform consciousness into wisdom. This is not something achievable through practice over such a short time as a few kalpas, a few dozen kalpas, a few hundred kalpas, or even a few thousand kalpas.

Upholding the precepts is self-discipline; only then can one discipline others through the precepts and become a model and guide for sentient beings. When the precepts are perfected and one is patient and gentle, the meditative concentration of the first dhyāna can become complete. With this first-dhyāna concentration, on the foundation of having eradicated the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), one will successively sever the various afflictions, and part of the obstruction to wisdom is eliminated. If the afflictive habits are also severed, the obstructions to wisdom will be completely removed, and the sun of wisdom will shine brilliantly over heaven and earth.

From this it can be seen that cultivation is ultimately for the purpose of perfecting the wisdom of the emptiness of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses: the mind consciousness successively realizes the emptiness of all dharmas, and the manas also successively realizes the emptiness of all dharmas, transforming the consciousness-nature of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses into wisdom-nature. A conscious mind with ignorance and afflictions is consciousness-nature; a conscious mind without ignorance and afflictions is wisdom-nature. To sever the fundamental afflictions, one must possess the power of concentration of the first dhyāna or above, and must also sever the view of self with regard to persons and the view of self with regard to dharmas; only then can one transform consciousness into wisdom.