Teacher Sun Zhengde
Only by Rectifying Improper Learning Attitudes Can One Connect with the True Dharma
All sentient beings inherently possess a complete Buddhist canon (Dàzàng jīng, 大藏經)—perfectly manifest and entirely complete. It is neither more abundant in those born as humans nor diminished in those born as animals; nor is it comprehensible only to monastics residing in temples. The eight minds of consciousness [vijñāna] that the Buddha spoke of in the scriptures as being possessed by all sentient beings are not exclusively found in those who cultivate Buddhism; nor do practitioners who, as a result of their cultivation, deny the existence of the eighth consciousness [ālaya-vijñāna] or the seventh consciousness [manas] lack these consciousnesses.
