Consciousness

By Victor M Fontane

All phenomena are but manifestations of consciousness; everything that exists arises from the karmic seeds latent in the Alaya-vijnana (storehouse consciousness). The five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness) come together, grasping at objects and reinforcing the duality of subject and object. This creates a closed cycle of “definition” and “anti-definition”: “definition” refers to the process of present actions imprinting new karmic seeds, while “anti-definition” refers to the maturation of these seeds, driving cognitive grasping. Sentient beings mistakenly regard the five aggregates as inherently real, thus becoming trapped in the suffering of samsara.

Those who seek liberation but fall into the trap of nihilism claim, “If we deny the existence of things, suffering disappears.” This is a misunderstanding of emptiness, descending into mere nothingness. Emptiness is not annihilation, but the emptiness of inherent existence due to dependent origination; only by seeing karmic forces as illusory does one walk the Middle Way. Others mistakenly cling to the Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature) as a warehouse storing latent karmic seeds, but this too is a partial view—the Tathagatagarbha is actually the pure, luminous awareness of the Dharmadhatu, like a mirror originally free from stains, temporarily obscured by adventitious defilements.

The turning point comes when this innate awareness is activated: afflictive karmic forces are instantly transformed into the resources of enlightenment. This is the Yogacara teaching of “ wisdom”: the tainted seeds of the Alaya-vijnana are transformed into the Great Mirror Wisdom, and the self-grasping of the Manas consciousness is transformed into the Wisdom of Equality. The key lies in directly facing the arising and ceasing of the five aggregates, penetrating the conceptual play of “definition” and “anti-definition.” In the very moment of thoughts arising and passing away, one perceives the original wisdom of the Tathagatagarbha, thus realizing the profound meaning of the Xinxin Ming: “Do not seek the truth, only cease cherishing opinions.”

When the wild mind comes to rest, karmic forces no longer lurk as shackles, but are transformed into stepping stones for awakening. Ultimate liberation is neither denial nor suppression, but the clear illumination of the game of definitions; when the flow of karmic forces ceases, the logic of samsara collapses, and the pure original awareness manifests as it is.

All verbal expressions are ultimately neither to be grasped as existent nor nonexistent; let the mind in this very moment remain pure and undefiled.