The State of the Cessation of the Five Aggregates

The five aggregates of clinging serve as five kinds of veils for the seven consciousnesses of sentient beings, obstructing the full manifestation of their vast meritorious functions and their wondrous supernatural powers. They confine the knowledge and actions of the seven consciousnesses within a narrow scope, preventing them from transcending limitations, while simultaneously hindering the manifestation of the meritorious functions of the eighth consciousness, preventing the Mirror-like Wisdom from arising. Only by cultivating the four dhyanas and eight samadhis, attaining samadhi beyond the fourth dhyana, can one gradually break through the limitations imposed by the five aggregates of clinging, escape their prison like a bird freed from its cage, gain freedom, and soar in the vast heavens and earth.

To extinguish and eradicate the five aggregates of clinging, one requires samadhi beyond the fourth dhyana. The fourth dhyana is the concentration of purified equanimity. When the mind is free from thoughts, all obstacles vanish, enabling the manifestation of any supernatural powers and functions, eliminating the veils on body and mind, and freeing one from all hindrances. The aggregate of form refers to the physical body and all phenomena possessing form, including the objects of the six dusts. It obstructs and hinders the seven consciousnesses, particularly the six consciousnesses. When the mental faculty (manas) seeks to utilize the six consciousnesses to perform tasks, the six consciousnesses become incapable. Hence, it is said that the five aggregates of clinging also veil the seventh consciousness.

 When the aggregate of form is exhausted, the physical body and all material forms cease to veil the mind of the six consciousnesses. What does this signify? What is the veiling effect of the aggregate of form on the mind of the six consciousnesses? Influenced by the physical body and material forms, the eye-consciousness cannot see distant objects, cannot see the heavens above or the earth below, cannot see other celestial bodies, and certainly cannot see other Buddha-lands. The perception of form is confined by spatial distance. The eye-consciousness cannot see beyond high walls, beyond mountains, through deep water, or into the earth; it is obstructed by material forms. The eye-consciousness cannot see in pitch darkness devoid of light; the perception of form is confined to illumination.

Similarly, the ear-consciousness cannot hear distant sounds; sounds separated by dense matter cannot be heard; sounds beyond a certain range are inaudible. Hearing is obstructed by spatial distance and material forms. The nose-consciousness cannot smell fragrances from afar; scents sealed within dense matter cannot be detected. The tongue-consciousness cannot taste flavors not in contact with the tongue root. The body-consciousness cannot feel tactile sensations not touching the body root. The mind-consciousness cannot know people, events, and things from past and future lives, meaning it lacks the power of knowing past lives.

If one cultivates to the level of the fourth dhyana samadhi, the aggregate of form can be eradicated. Then, seeing forms, hearing sounds, and feeling tactile sensations will no longer be obstructed by the aggregate of form. Consequently, the divine eye, divine ear, divine nose, and divine tongue powers will manifest. The body will also manifest the power of miraculous feet. The mind-consciousness will manifest the powers of knowing others' minds and knowing past lives. This is what is meant by the five supernatural powers being unimpeded. Non-Buddhists who cultivate the four dhyanas and eight samadhis also attain these five powers. However, they cannot attain the sixth power, the exhaustion of outflows, because that is the wisdom power born from the complete eradication of afflictions. Non-Buddhists have not eradicated the view of self, so their clinging to self cannot be fully severed, and thus they cannot possess the power of exhaustion of outflows. After the aggregate of form is exhausted, one must gradually eradicate the domains of the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Then, what one perceives will be vast and unobstructed, without limitations.

Only after the domain of the aggregate of feeling is completely eradicated can one be free from the limitations and control of bodily sensations. Regardless of the state of the physical body, the mind remains unaffected. Fire cannot burn it, knives cannot cut it, water cannot drown it—this physical body becomes impervious. Facing any realm, the mind remains unmoved, like Mount Tai. Before the domain of the aggregate of feeling is eradicated, the tactile sensations of the physical body will cause fluctuations in the mind of the six consciousnesses.

All these supernatural powers are initiated by the mental faculty (manas). Originally, the mental faculty also desired to know the vast realms. However, constrained because the six consciousnesses were veiled by the five aggregates of clinging, the mental faculty was helpless. Now that the veils are cleared, the aspirations of the mental faculty can be realized without obstruction. This requires immense merit and virtue as support, as well as the support of precepts and the power of samadhi. Lacking any one of these three conditions, one cannot initiate any supernatural powers.