Wisdom 智 from Collection of Rain Blossoms

The Buddha shows how the Eight Consciousnesses transform into the Three Bodies and Four Wisdoms, turning confusion into clarity. Image: Shutterstock.

What is wisdom? Wisdom is our true nature. When we are lost, it is called the Conditioned Mind. When we are awake, it is called wisdom. There are eight kinds of Conditioned Mind, and they are really eight forms of confusion. When these are cleared, wisdom shines through.

The Three Bodies

How many kinds of wisdom are there? The Buddha taught that there are the Three Bodies (三身) and the Four Wisdoms (四智). By transforming the Eight Conditioned Minds, we realize the Three Bodies. And when the Three Bodies are complete, they give rise to the Four Wisdoms.

The Three Bodies are:

• The Body of True Nature (法身, Dharma Body) — this is the original pure nature, like the body at birth, pure and untainted.

• The Body of Wisdom (報身, Reward Body) — this is the awakened mind, the wisdom that sees clearly and knows right from wrong.

• The Body of Action (化身, Transformation Body) — this is how we live and act. It shows up in countless ways: as a merchant one acts as a merchant, as a farmer one acts as a farmer.

These are not three real bodies. They are names, given so beginners may understand. They point to the steps of practice and the results it brings.

The Four Wisdoms

With the Three Bodies as the foundation, the Four Wisdoms naturally unfold. They grow out of the Eight Conditioned Minds. When we see through these ways of confusion, and stop getting caught up in them, the Four Wisdoms appear.

1. The Wisdom of Right Action (成所作智)

   This comes from the Conditioned Minds of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Even when sights, sounds, and other things come at us, they cannot disturb our true nature.

   
   

2. The Wisdom of Clear Seeing (妙觀察智)

   This comes from the Conditioned Mind of thinking. In daily life we can see right and wrong clearly, without getting swept up by restless thoughts.

   
   

3. The Wisdom of Equal Heart (平等性智)

   This comes from the Conditioned Mind of grasping, the manas. We do not let our likes and dislikes run our lives. Instead, we keep an equal heart, without drawing a line between self and others. When good comes, we accept it. When hardship comes, we accept it too. This is the Body of Wisdom showing itself as this kind of wisdom.

   
   

4. The Wisdom of the Great Mirror (大圓鏡智)

   This comes from the Conditioned Mind of storing, the ālaya. It holds everything. When the first three wisdoms clean it up, the ālaya becomes clear, bright, and open. Then it is like a flawless mirror, with nothing hidden, showing everything just as it is. This is the Body of True Nature becoming the Mirror Wisdom.

智

 雨花集

濟公活佛

何謂智？智就是本性，所謂迷者為識，悟者為智。人有八識，就是八迷。能清除八識，就叫做智。

智有幾種？佛說有三身四智，所謂化八識而成三身，束三身而成四智。

三身，就是法身、報身、化身。人本有一身，何以又謂三身？其實三身是假設名字，以便初學者易明，並非有三身實體也。三身是表示修禪之過程，及其結果而已。

法身—就是清淨法身，即你本性，初出世之身，無染無污之身。

報身—就是圓滿報身，等於你之智力，能鑒別是非。

化身—就是你的行為，作千萬億之化身，做商化商，做農化農。

智，束三身而成四智。所謂四智，乃由八識而成，看破八識，四智則生。四智是從八識中那一識成那一智呢？茲分述如下﹕

一、第一智—成所作智。係由眼、耳、鼻、舌、身五識綜合而成，就是入此五根境界而不亂其本性。

二、第二智—妙觀察智。係由第六識之意識所成。就是入諸塵之中，能分別是非，不起妄念。

三、第三智—平等性智。係由第七識之末那識（又叫傳達識）所成。就是對於諸塵中不起憎愛之想，有一切平等之心，無人我之別。善來善受，惡來惡受，亦所謂圓滿報身，束而成此智。

四、第四智—大圓鏡智。係由第八識之阿賴耶識（又叫含藏識）所成。具有含藏之力，苟三智均能使到第八識清淨無瑕，明亮無礙，如大圓鏡之無幽不燭，洞澈一切，此乃束法身而成明鏡也。

This translated text is a chapter from Collection of Rain Blossoms, a scripture written by JiGong Living Buddha in the 1900s through spirit writing. Here the link to the original Chinese source.

If you are interested in other chapters of this book, here is the link to the table of contents.