Proof from the Śūraṅgama Sūtra on the Origin of the World: The Manas is Not of Avyākṛta Nature

In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the World-Honored One explains the origin of the world. In the immeasurable kalpas before chaos unfolded, only the eighth consciousness and the manas existed; there were no three realms of existence, much less the five aggregates or the six consciousnesses. The manas combined with the eighth consciousness constitutes the life entity of sentient beings. At that time, due to ignorance, the manas arose with a mind turned outward to grasp, seeking to explore something. Only then did the eighth consciousness, in accordance with the manas's mental activity, gradually form the world. This process was exceedingly prolonged, for the world was not conceived by the manas of a single sentient being but by the mental activities of the manas of countless sentient beings.

After the world had formed over numerous great kalpas, the five aggregates of sentient beings were able to take birth because a suitable environment for survival had arisen. All ignorance existed prior to the formation of the world; not a single form of ignorance was generated afterward. Therefore, it is said that all ignorance is the ignorance of the manas. Since the manas possesses all ignorance, this ignorance inherently contains the seeds of all afflictions, which manifest as afflictions when conditions ripen. The ignorance and afflictions of the manas further defile the sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna), which gradually becomes tainted by afflictions—this too is a prolonged process. Thus, the initial afflictions belong entirely to the manas; the sixth consciousness merely follows the afflictions of the manas. Only after the sixth consciousness has been thoroughly defiled do its own afflictions appear.

Ignorance (avidyā) means lack of clarity. The mind of the manas lacks understanding of the truth, remaining in a state of confusion. What is this truth? According to the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, it refers to the true reality of the Dharma Realm. The manas fails to understand the truth of the eighth consciousness, which is the reality of the Dharma Realm. It fails to recognize that it itself is a dharma within the eighth consciousness, born of and sustained by the eighth consciousness, and that apart from the eighth consciousness, there are no dharmas and no Dharma Realm. This is the beginningless ignorance of the manas, also known as fundamental ignorance. Due to this beginningless ignorance, the mind arises seeking to explore beyond the eighth consciousness, leading to the formation of the world. This occurred gradually over long kalpas, not within short kalpas.

Only after the world had formed over numerous great kalpas did the five aggregates of sentient beings appear, and the sixth consciousness along with the five sense consciousnesses (vijñānas) arose with the birth of the five aggregates. After the appearance of the five aggregates, the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses began to cooperate with the manas in creating karmas. Therefore, due to ignorance, the manas gives rise to the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, directing the six consciousnesses to create afflicted and unwholesome karmas. Seeds of unwholesome karmas are thus planted, giving rise to the karmic causes and effects, the cycle of birth and death within the six realms. This is the origin of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. From this, it is evident that the sixth consciousness appeared very late, far later than the manas. It is impossible for the sixth consciousness to possess ignorance and afflictions immediately upon its appearance without any cause. The subsequent arising of afflictions in the sixth consciousness stems from the defilement by the manas, the master consciousness that governs it. Alternatively, the ignorance and afflictions manifested by the sixth consciousness actually belong to the manas and are the result of the manas's control. Therefore, the manas indeed possesses afflictions; it is not merely of neutral nature. It encompasses all three natures: wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral.

Ignorance is an unwholesome dharma; it is neither wholesome nor the neutral dharma of neither-wholesome-nor-unwholesome. Therefore, one must eliminate all ignorance and afflictions through Buddhist study and practice, ultimately becoming a perfectly enlightened Buddha endowed with the four virtues of eternity, bliss, self, and purity, radiating complete brightness. Who would regard ignorance as wholesome or neutral? The afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion in sentient beings arise from ignorance, that is, from the manas. If the manas were free from ignorance, it would not create the karmas of greed, hatred, and delusion. It is ignorance that causes these afflictions to manifest. Hence, the manas is not of neutral nature. Then, is the manas of a Buddha neutral in nature? The manas of a Buddha is certainly not neutral; it is purely wholesome, entirely free from unwholesomeness. It embodies great compassion and benevolence toward all sentient beings. From this perspective, the nature of the manas should be easily discerned, and there should be no further misunderstanding or confusion.