(First draft)
Contributed by the Buddhas’ Practice Incorporated, Australia
Mentor: Bennie Spirit
Editor: Yinyue(Ivy)
With gratitude to Google AI Gemini
With gratitude to NotebookLM
Draft Date: July 12, 2026
Location: BPI Meditation Center
**Question:** What exactly is “consciousness” (識, *vijnana*) in the context of “transforming consciousness into wisdom” (轉識成智), and how does one achieve
this transformation?
**Answer:** According to the *Śūraṅgama Sūtra* (*楞嚴經*), consciousness is habituation (習氣, *vāsanā*). In the *Mahāyāna Manifestation of Consciousness
Sūtra* (*大乘顯識經*), it is said that consciousness is a “seed” (種子, *bīja*), possessing the characteristic of being able to grow; hence, it is also called a “seed.”
**The Importance:** Clarifying what consciousness is can directly reverse everything you experience!
The Characteristics of Consciousness:
1. Seed (種子, *Bīja*)
First, consciousness acts as a seed, possessing the characteristics of extension and growth. For example, once you identify something as “delicious,” you constantly want to eat it. Furthermore, from one method of eating, you invent various other ways; this is its growth characteristic. It is constantly growing, with an exceptionally tenacious vitality; even wanting to destroy it is difficult. (Once a seed is cultivated, it gives rise to greed, which is acting in concert with defilements. You crave incessantly; to maintain that craving, you become angry; to satisfy that craving, you doubt everything; with craving, you become incredibly arrogant. It is endless, infinitely expanding—from a single variety to infinite varieties, from a single quantity to infinite quantities. Since beginningless time, you have been acting this way, and the result is that although it seems you possess everything, you actually possess nothing.) Therefore, all six sense organs can discover that its consciousness is always extending outward; this is growth. For instance, the eyes are always looking at things, extending outward; this is growth. The other five sense organs are the same; they are always seeking something. Thus, consciousness can also be called a “seed.”
“The Eight Consciousnesses contain all seeds”—this means there are tens of thousands of seeds, all of which are your consciousness. If you do not recognize them, they do not function.
*(Question: The teachings you give us every day, the perfuming (熏習, *vāsana*), do they begin from the Sixth Consciousness?)*
*Answer: It is certainly your Sixth Consciousness that is defining it. The first five consciousnesses only have the ability to discriminate; the focus of the Sixth Consciousness is to define everywhere, which is why it is called “mind-
consciousness” (意識, manovijñāna). If you stop defining everything everywhere
right now and instead rely on wisdom in every situation, that is “transforming consciousness into wisdom.” It is you who let it create in this way. Originally, all things do not exist as “delicious” or “not delicious”; it is you who define them. Once defined, you cling to it to the death, and this definition cannot be shaken—this is called “consciousness.” In reality, it simply does not exist.*
**Question: How do I transform it now?**
**Answer:** What can be transformed are the Sixth and Seventh Consciousnesses,
which can be transformed on the “causal level” (因地). The Fifth and Eighth cannot be transformed on the causal level; they only form themselves on the “fruitional level” (果地).
* Rely on the “Wondrous Observation” (妙觀察) of the Sixth Consciousness to observe things as they truly are, seeing them as they truly are.
*Question: I cannot “see as it truly is” right now.*
*Answer: For example, whether something is delicious or not is “consciousness.” You must look into it thoroughly: do those “delicious” or “not delicious” things really exist? They do not. It is because of your definition. You defined them as delicious or not, and thus all sensations arise. The mind is the root; the mind has great power; the mind is the master of the world. Whatever you define, that phenomenon exists.*
Even something absolutely inedible, like cow dung soup—some can cook it and say it is delicious because they have defined it as delicious; therefore, it is delicious. Those who have never defined it this way can never eat it; it is worse than excrement. Because it includes gastric acid, digestive juices, and decaying grass, how could it be delicious? Therefore, you define it as “not delicious,” and you refuse to eat it at all costs.
Based on this deduction, “good” and “bad” are all defined by people; this is “Right View” (正見). Only with Right View can there be “Right Observation” (正觀察),
which is the subtle observation of its true phenomenon. It is just that whatever you define is what it is; this is consciousness. And this consciousness is not a physical thing, but it is not “nothing.” The *Manifestation of Consciousness Sūtra* emphasizes that it is like the wind; when the wind is strong, houses and trees can be destroyed—it just depends on how strong the wind is. Consciousness is like the wind; it has no physical form, but it has function.
2. Consciousness Entry (識入, *Vijñāna-praveśa*)
So-called “consciousness entry” means that when you are reborn, your consciousness enters. After entering, it attaches directly to the DNA. At this time, the parents provide a part, but the focus is your information—your seeds—which are entirely transferred in and attached to the DNA. Therefore, in Buddhism, it is called the “union of three
conditions” (三緣和合) to have this life form. After attachment, it replaces the parents’ DNA.
For example, a door lock has two sets of keys: one temporary set, originally used by the workers, and one set that is yours. Once your key is inserted, the lock changes instantly; the previous key becomes obsolete and no longer works, and only your key can open it, preventing you from losing things in your home. Initially, the parents’ DNA is temporary; once your consciousness attaches and the information is fully integrated, it becomes purely you.
3. Consciousness Operation (識運, *Vijñāna- vṛ tti*)
Thus, it is also called “seed,” carrying all information. This information will extend to the functioning of your six sense organs, which is called “consciousness operation.”
4. Consciousness Migration (識遷, *Vijñāna- saṅ krānti*)
When a person dies, it is called “consciousness migration”; your consciousness migrates out of the body and enters the intermediate state (中陰身, *antarābhava*).
The intermediate being is this type of consciousness, still carrying those past definitions (habituation). Since the six consciousnesses are all present, you are, of course, the same person you were before.
5. Establishing Knowledge based on Perception (知見立知, *jñāna-darśana-sthāpita-jñāna*)
You must also know that consciousness itself is the “True Nature” (自性, *svabhāva*). However, whatever you “perfume” (熏習) it with, it will be stained by
it. Once you identify with something—for example, “delicious” or “not delicious”— you have accepted and defined it; this is being perfumed. If you are perfumed a lot and stained, you define it. The entire process of defining still relies on the True Nature to make that definition.
The characteristic of the True Nature is “seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing” (見聞
覺知). You add a definition; this definition is not the True Nature. The True Nature plus a definition is consciousness. It can also be called “the first thought of ignorance” (一念無明). Its characteristic is like Yajñadatta (演若達多) in the *Śūraṅgama
Sūtra*, who in a single thought thought he had lost his head; once he was convinced he had no head, he ran around frantically. That was his one thought of judgment—he defined it. All the frantic running that followed came from his definition (this is the first thought of ignorance). Afterwards, every thought is ignorance, yet he still believes he understands very well. Every “first thought” is a thought of ignorance, and the final result must be a mistake, because what you have created is something that fundamentally does not exist. Yajñadatta thought he had no head—there was no such thing. There is no such thing as something being delicious or not; it is only because you defined it that the matter of it being delicious or not exists.
6. The Distorted and Confused Consciousness
This distorted and confused consciousness goes to be reborn; the entire array of information is distorted and confused information. One lives a life of distortion and confusion, dies, and then takes that information away. Wherever you go, you are distorted. It is like Duolun; he is already dead, and people cannot see or hear him, yet he still thinks about delivering medicine or shirking responsibility. A “good teacher”
(善知識, *kalyāṇamitra*) tries to wake him up: “You must know your situation.” He is still annoyed: “I need to deliver medicine!” This definition is set even to the state of
the intermediate body after death; the consciousness is still so firm and unwavering. In reality, these things never existed at all; they are all what you yourself think, imagine, and define. They fundamentally do not exist. Is it not absurd for you to be joyful, angry, sad, or happy within them? It is a full set of distortion and confusion.
7. Fundamentally Non-existent
This consciousness is very important. Regarding the depth and breadth of your understanding of Buddhism, it is a mechanism. If you open this mechanism, you will find that both depth and breadth are there. Mathematicians use an axis to represent it; consciousness is a very good coordinate. Based on this, you can better understand how self-righteous one is under this one thought of ignorance. No matter how self- righteous you are, in truth, that thing does not exist.
Once you break through this barrier, everything else becomes easy; you will no longer “mistake the false for the true” or “lose yourself and chase after objects” (迷己逐物).
You will know that this is just a deluded consciousness and fundamentally does not exist. Because everyone defines it as existing, it seems as if it exists in the human world. In fact, this is not the case, because everyone is in ignorance and thinks it exists, while in reality, it does not exist at all.
True Knowledge and Vision (如實知見, *yathābhūta-jñāna-darś ana*)
True knowledge and true vision mean that things are just things; they do not inherently define themselves as “I am delicious” or “I am not delicious.” These are all things that come from definition.
This includes after you migrate your consciousness and are reborn; it is also your definition that “this is me.” Once you define it as “me,” you are convinced that it is me.
For example, it is the same when men and women get married in this world. You define marriage as marriage, and then add another definition: who belongs to whom.
And the things he buys become his. In reality, those things were originally in the store; no one belonged to anyone. The boss thinks it is the boss’s; you buy it and define it as yours; the other party also defines it as yours. Once defined, it is yours.
However, nothing exists as “who belongs to whom,” nor does “delicious” or “not delicious” exist. Everything is a definition. (You do not understand that this is your definition; it is not inherently delicious or not.)
Wondrous Observation (妙觀察, *pratyavekṣ aṇ a-jñāna*)
When you are truly clear about this, you have “Right View,” which is called “True Vision.” You can also observe it as it is, and you may even discover all the wondrous principles and interests within it; therefore, it is called “Wondrous Observation.” You are not deluding yourself; you are not defining, just discovering its characteristics without adding a shred of personal emotional consciousness or deluded thoughts. This is the “First Principle.”
Realizing (了, *liǎo*)
“I” and “what is mine” are all defined. The “dependent reward” (依報, environment)
and “direct reward” (正報, body), “I,” and “what is mine” fundamentally do not exist; they are the deluded phenomena you have defined. Even the fruition/karma is deluded; it was empty to begin with, but you must “realize” (了) it.
How to realize it? You have already understood (明了) that it was originally non-
existent. Once you have realized it, karmic obstacles are originally empty. If you do not realize it, you must still pay your past debts; slowly stay trapped in this body and pay them.
Training after Knowing
The key is: have you realized that all of this was originally non-existent? You only know it, but have not practiced according to this method. If you practice, you can
quickly “detach from stickiness and loosen the bonds” (脫粘去縛), because since it
originally does not exist, what are you sticking to? What are you being bound by? Finally, exert effort on this one point; if you exert effort for a long time, you can detach. You will know that these things truly never existed in the first place. If you can truly know that all this is originally empty, you are already liberated.
*(Training process, example: I think that thing is delicious, thinking until I am scratching my ears and cheeks. But once you recall that it is your definition—it does not exist as delicious or not—it is not the object, but your definition, or someone else taught you to define it this way. Only after you define it does such a phenomenon exist. It is merely your definition; in fact, it does not exist. This clear and distinct view, this scorching vision, can break all deluded thoughts. You can then “abandon the
arising and ceasing, and guard the True Permanence” (棄生滅，守真常).)* *Question: How to guard the True Permanence? Is not chasing it guarding it?*
*Answer: You are always using your body to sense everything; then look again, that which can sense all seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing—it is exactly that. It is your true, unchanging, eternal, originally pure self. Just guard yourself well.*
*What are you guarding yourself for?*
*Because there is too much dust and filth now, take back all the mental energy, guard yourself, do not exert effort outward, do not charge it. Do not charge every deluded thought; when greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt arise, do not charge them. Just guard your “electricity.” The purpose is to let your sense organs and sense objects drop away, all emotional consciousness and imagination drop away completely, and guard your true self. This is called the “Original Source.” “The Original Source, True Nature, is Amitābha Buddha.” This Amitābha Buddha is you; guard it well.*
The *Śūraṅgama Sūtra*, Scroll 4: “If you abandon the arising and ceasing and guard the True Permanence, the constant light will manifest before you. The dust, sense organs, and conscious mind will dissolve at that moment. With the thoughts and appearances as dust, and the consciousness and emotions as filth, both are far away. Then your Dharma-eye will be clear and bright at that moment. How can you not attain supreme enlightenment?” (CBETA, T19, no. 945, p. 124b2-5)
You have already attained it; you are supreme enlightenment.
You take your supreme enlightenment everywhere to chase clouds and dreams, scooping the moon from the water, always believing it exists, but you can never scoop it up. If it were real, you would already have it; you would not need to scoop it up again. It originally does not exist, so you will never be able to scoop it up, yet you still go to scoop it. It seems as if you have obtained something, but you have obtained nothing.
*Question: You have been teaching us to transform consciousness into wisdom! But I have not practiced. When I see food, I do not practice; when I have wandering thoughts, I do not practice transforming them.*
*Answer: Indeed. If you really want to practice, I speak the Dharma to you every day. If I had not practiced at the time, I would not remember these terms, and I would not be able to say anything. If you have studied it, practiced it, and even practiced it to the
point of “effortless action” (無功用行), it will naturally flow out when needed,
because you are well-trained. Trained to the extreme, your quality is that. You are the Dharma, and the Dharma is you. You will not fear that the Dharma will go extinct in the future. But if you reside in the world, it is equivalent to the Dharma residing in the world. As long as your training is successful, all the defilements, dust, and the three
obstacles (三障) are cleared; you thoroughly clean yourself (Intermediate Level). A higher level is to bring out all the naturally possessed wisdom, realization, and supernatural powers (神通), and use them livingly and thoroughly (Advanced Level). At a minimum, you must always remember (Elementary Level).*
Summary of the Concept of “Consciousness” in the *Mahāyāna Manifestation of Consciousness Sūtra*
Based on the provided content, the characteristics of “consciousness” are summarized as follows:
**1. Three Types of Consciousness and Their Characteristics**
* **True Consciousness (True Suchness, Original Awakening, Tathāgatagarbha):**
It is the unborn and undying, pure original mind—the Tathāgatagarbha. It is the perfect essence possessed by both sentient beings and Buddhas. Its specific characteristics are: “The essence is originally pure, it remains unchanged while following conditions, and it does not mix with the deluded.”
The sutra points out: “True consciousness is True Suchness (Tathātā).” It represents “True Suchness remaining unchanged while following conditions and not mixing with the deluded.” It is compared to a “bright mirror showing various images,” metaphorically illustrating that the nature of consciousness and the nature of appearances are one.
* **Manifest Consciousness (Ālayavijñāna, Eighth Consciousness):**
It is capable of storing all seeds of good and evil karma, causality, defilement, and purity. It has the characteristics of manifesting according to conditions, remaining constant while united, and being able to manifest all realms.
The “bright mirror analogy” is used to explain Manifest Consciousness: just as a bright mirror can show various forms and colors, Manifest Consciousness can also show various realms. This consciousness is the root of all phenomena, capable of manifesting all phenomena and creating causes to bear fruit.
* **Discriminating Consciousness (The Seven Consciousnesses, especially the Sixth and Seventh):**
It discriminates the “good and bad” aspects of the five sense-objects based on the seeds of Manifest Consciousness. The mind-root, the mind-consciousness, and the
five sense-consciousness bodies all belong to the Discriminating Consciousness.
It dominates deluded thoughts, discrimination, and clinging, continuing incessantly according to perfuming. “Discriminating Consciousness” arises from discriminating and grasping objects, and from the perfuming of beginningless deluded thoughts. It is the subject of constant flow and change.
**2. Summary Characteristics of Consciousness**
* The three consciousnesses encompass various theories. In a broader sense, they are divided into the eight-consciousness system, and there are even more detailed classifications into eleven consciousnesses; all are deductions of the phenomenal world.
* This sutra emphasizes the one-body and multiple-functions of consciousness, and the “mutual causation” between Manifest Consciousness and Discriminating Consciousness, reflecting their dynamic relationship of causal continuity and mutual dependent origination.
* True Suchness (True Consciousness) and arising/ceasing (Manifest Consciousness and Discriminating Consciousness) are “True and deluded united, neither one nor different,” pointing out that the essence of consciousness is pure and quiescent, while its function can follow conditions to create various differences.
**3. The Seventh Consciousness (Manas-vijñāna)**
* **Name and Meaning:** “Manas” is translated as “mind” (意, *manas*). In Yogācāra (Dharmalakṣaṇa school), the Seventh Consciousness is called Manas-
vijñāna.
* **Psychological Function:** It has the function of “constant and deliberate
deliberation” (恆審思量)—continuously and persistently deliberating on the self
(ego). It is the “most profound, constant, and uninterrupted self-awareness.” It is the root source of the four major defilements: “ego-delusion, ego-view, ego-arrogance, and ego-love.”
* **Relationship:** It serves as the psychological source and reliance for the birth of the six consciousnesses. It is the key to the transition between defilement and purity, between ordinary and holy.
**4. “The Sixth and Seventh Transform at the Causal Level” (六七因地轉)**
This concept appears in the commentaries of Buddhist Yogācāra literature, specifically regarding the “transformation of consciousness” (轉依, *āśraya- parāvṛtti*). According to the *Commentary on the Treatise on the Perfection of Consciousness-Only* (*成唯識論演祕*), the Sixth Consciousness (mind-
consciousness) and the Seventh Consciousness (Manas-vijñāna) follow each other in the process of cultivation; when the Seventh reaches the stage of transformation, the Sixth also transforms. This aligns with the principle of “the sixth and seventh transforming at the causal level.”
Ending
See the webpage for details: