Is karmic obstruction eliminated by the mind consciousness or by the manas?

Karmic obstructions are the obstructions of ignorance—the obstructions to one's own mind brought about by the unwholesome karma created through the power of ignorance. They obstruct one's own mind from obtaining good retribution, good fruits, and even good karma; wholesome dharmas cannot be accomplished, and moreover they obstruct the wise cognition of all dharmas. Ignorance originally resides in the manas; the root lies in the ignorance of the manas. The ignorance of the mind consciousness originally all comes from the manas. Under the influence and impetus of the manas's ignorance, the mind consciousness is also defiled by environmental conditioning. Once the ignorance of the manas is eradicated, the mind consciousness is no longer conditioned by the environment, much less by the ignorance of the manas, and thus the mind consciousness becomes pure. The ultimate purity of the mind consciousness is the result of the purity of the manas. If the manas is not pure, it will certainly impel and drive the mind consciousness to engage in impure karma; once defiled karma seeds are formed, there will be karmic obstructions in future lives. Therefore all karmic obstructions are eliminated only after the manas becomes pure, because the manas is the originator of it all—the one who tied the bell must untie it.

When the manas's merit increases, its meditative concentration strengthens, and its wisdom grows, ignorance is eliminated to some extent, the mental disposition will transform to some extent, afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) will be removed to some extent, and the obstructions to wholesome dharmas, wholesome karma, wholesome fruits, wholesome retribution, and wholesome conditions will be partially removed—the obstructions encountered in learning Buddhism will have been lightened to some extent. To the degree that the manas's ignorance is eliminated, the mind becomes pure to that degree, karmic obstructions decrease to that degree, and wholesome karma increases to that degree.

At the time of eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), realizing the fruits, and seeing the mind and seeing the nature, meditative concentration and wisdom greatly increase, and the mental disposition simultaneously undergoes a fundamental transformation. When the mind becomes pure and one attains purity of the dharma eye, afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) is partially eliminated, and thus the karma leading to the three evil destinies is accordingly eliminated, signifying that one need no longer undergo painful retribution in the three evil destinies, and the remaining karma need only be retributed within the human realm. Each time sentient beings attain a kind of meditative absorption (samādhi), a portion of their karmic obstructions is eliminated—this includes the second, third, and fourth fruits of the Small Vehicle, the various checkpoints of the Great Vehicle, as well as attaining the bhūmis, and the first, second, and third bhūmis. When wisdom grows, views and concepts change, the mind changes, and afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) is eliminated, the corresponding karma will be eliminated. Repentance can also eliminate karmic obstructions from past lives, because the mind—the manas—recognizes its own ignorance, foolishness, and afflictions, and resolves to correct them; when the mind changes, the corresponding karmic obstructions are eliminated, or partially eliminated.

Karma is divided into fixed karma and unfixed karma. Fixed karma cannot be altered and must be retributed before it is exhausted; but unfixed karma can be altered and does not necessarily have to be retributed before it is exhausted—it may be partially eliminated through repentance, with a portion still undergoing retribution. Even fixed karma can be altered under special circumstances. Special circumstances refer to when a sentient being's mental power is strong, wisdom is strong, meditative concentration is strong, repentance is sincere and weighty, and the mental disposition has been greatly transformed—then the karma is also altered. If no karma whatsoever could be altered and all of it had to be retributed before being exhausted, then not a single person in the world could become a Buddha. Because sentient beings' karma is too numerous and too heavy, it simply cannot be fully retributed and exhausted. Moreover, if karma could not be altered, then sentient beings' repentance would be useless and could not eliminate karma.