The Equality Wisdom of the Manas

The seventh consciousness possesses the equality-nature wisdom (samatā-jñāna) at the initial mind-ground of Extreme Joy (pramuditā), meaning that upon entering the initial mind of the first ground, the Ground of Extreme Joy, the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom and acquires a portion of the equality-nature wisdom. After the seventh consciousness, through cultivating the bodhisattva's six pāramitās, sees the mind and attains enlightenment, it possesses prajñā wisdom; as prajñā wisdom grows, it acquires the wisdom of subsequent realization; through cultivating the path it gives rise to the first dhyāna, eradicates afflictions, successively passes through the barrier of mirage-like appearances and the barrier of dream-like appearances, and after realizing nirvāṇa with remainder, it trains in and cultivates consciousness-only doctrine, acquiring a portion of consciousness-only seed-wisdom, and enters the first ground. At this point, the sixth consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, acquiring the initial portion of the wonderful observing wisdom (pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna), and the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, acquiring the initial portion of the equality-nature wisdom. These two consciousnesses must undergo three transformations of consciousness into wisdom on the way to buddhahood; when the defilement of ignorance is completely eradicated and everything becomes luminosity, the eighth consciousness and the five consciousnesses then respectively transform into the great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna) and the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done (kṛtyānuṣṭhāna-jñāna), perfecting the buddha path.

Bodhisattvas on the first ground have eradicated the nature of ordinary beings (pṛthagjana), entered the household of the Tathāgata, and become true sons of the Buddha. This is an immense transformation in the course of studying Buddhism and cultivating the path, highly emblematic, and the mind experiences extreme joy; hence it is called the Ground of Extreme Joy. The seventh consciousness's equality-nature wisdom is transformed and brought forth during the process of cultivating the path through the three stages of the three wholesome roots after seeing the mind; it is the mark of successfully accomplishing the transformation of the basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) of the eighth consciousness. The seventh consciousness realizes the equality of the eighth consciousness, and constantly observes that although all sentient beings have different karmic retributions, the eighth consciousness, which is the cause presenting those retributions, is equal; therefore the marks are also equal. In this way, the marks of person, self, sentient being, and life span are broken through, and one truly realizes that in essence all sentient beings are equal and will all ultimately become buddhas. The mind of the seventh consciousness also gradually comes to possess equality-nature, and after eradicating afflictions and transforming consciousness into wisdom, one enters the first ground.

Therefore, at the very moment of first seeing the mind, it must be that the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness both see the mind simultaneously; only then can one possess prajñā wisdom, only then can both break through the four marks, only then can both eradicate afflictions, only then can one pass through the three barriers of the Chan school, only then can both realize the barrier of mirage-like appearances and the barrier of dream-like appearances, only then can both eradicate the nature of ordinary beings, only then can both realize the first-ground bodhisattva's portion of consciousness-only seed-wisdom, only then can both realize the tathatā nature of all dharmas, only then can both realize a portion of the one true dharmadhātu, and only then can both ultimately become buddhas.

The seventh consciousness of an arhat does not possess the equality-nature wisdom, because arhats have not seen the mind and attained enlightenment, and do not possess prajñā wisdom or consciousness-only wisdom. However, they do possess a certain equality, but the standpoint of their equality differs from that of first-ground bodhisattvas. Arhats see all sentient beings as empty and selfless; their minds have eradicated all afflictions and broken through the four marks. From this standpoint of emptiness, the seventh consciousness sees all sentient beings as equal, but it cannot see all dharmas as equal, and does not know that all dharmas are of the nature of the eighth consciousness, are all of the tathatā nature, are all the one true dharmadhātu; therefore it does not possess the equality-nature wisdom.

Looking at the entire course of the arhat's cultivation of the path, the dharma-eye purity wisdom from the first fruit to the fourth fruit is realized simultaneously by the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness; otherwise one could not eradicate afflictions, enter nirvāṇa with remainder and nirvāṇa without remainder, nor break through the four marks. If the seventh consciousness, the manas, cannot eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi), then it cannot eradicate the afflictions of ignorance, birth-and-death cannot be ended, the dust and toil of the three realms cannot be escaped, saṃsāra cannot be stopped, suffering cannot be eradicated, and cultivating the path would be meaningless.