A Brief Discourse on the Essence of Consciousness
Chapter IV The Mnemonic Nature of Consciousness
I. Memory refers to the functions of recognition and recollection, which are the functional roles of the conscious mind. All events currently occurring, and all actions of body, speech, and mind, involve the operation of the conscious mind. The content recognized and acted upon by consciousness is constantly delivered to manas (the seventh consciousness). After manas recognizes it, it falls as seeds into the essence of the eighth consciousness (Alaya-vijnana). The eighth consciousness then stores this content as seeds. Later, when manas grasps and seeks to recognize something, the eighth consciousness, upon perceiving manas's volition (cetana), complies and cooperates with manas, releasing the previously stored seeds. This process forms the dharma-objects (mental objects). After manas contacts these dharma-objects, because its discerning wisdom is not subtle, it cannot recognize the specific content and thus gives rise to the volition (cetana) mental factor, determining to discern this dharma-object in detail. Thereupon, the eighth consciousness cooperates to give birth to consciousness (the sixth consciousness). Thus, consciousness discerns what the dharma-object actually is, meaning consciousness recalls past events. This is the process of recognition and recollection.
If the events that occur are incomplete, or if manas is inattentive, or if the recognition and action by consciousness are slight, the karmic action is minor, and the karmic seeds stored by the eighth consciousness are also minor. When the eighth consciousness outputs the seeds to form dharma-objects, the dharma-objects formed are not very clear. Consequently, consciousness discerns incompletely and unclearly, commonly referred to as weak memory. For example, if we memorize an article but do not master it completely, this karmic action is also stored as seeds. When the eighth consciousness outputs them again, consciousness cannot clearly discern them entirely, and thus the article cannot be recited completely.
Another example: if manas pays little attention to a person, with minimal mental application (manasikara) towards that person, the volition (cetana) lacks sufficient decisiveness. Consequently, consciousness's understanding and recognition of that person are incomplete, and the impression is not deep. This matter is also stored as seeds. When the seeds mature and one encounters this person again, the eighth consciousness outputs the past karmic seeds, but consciousness cannot clearly recognize this person, resulting in a vague, unclear impression.
When the eighth consciousness outputs karmic seeds to form dharma-objects, if the subtle sense faculties (the physical basis for consciousness, often referring to the nervous system/brain) have problems or obstacles, such as cerebellar atrophy or other impairments, the images output by the eighth consciousness do not fully correspond to the karmic seeds. The manifested dharma-objects are not true to reality. At this time, the conscious mind cannot correctly and accurately discern them, leading to distorted discernment or even complete inability to discern. This is amnesia.
Damage to the subtle sense faculties, brain stimulation, or brain malnutrition can all cause varying degrees of amnesia. Therefore, students should enhance nutrition before exams to ensure the harmonious composition of the four great elements within the subtle sense faculties, enabling the eighth consciousness to normally manifest the inner appearances (mental images). Only then can consciousness normally discern these images, enabling clear thinking during the exam, performing well, and achieving good results.
If there are problems with the subtle sense faculties, the images manifested by the eighth consciousness may become chaotic information. Consequently, the discernment by consciousness becomes disordered, potentially leading to distorted or erroneous discernment. Others may then perceive this person as possibly mentally unstable, while the person themselves believes they are completely normal, utterly unaware of any abnormality.
II. Why Infants Have Relatively Poor Memory
The memory referred to here is the ability to recognize and recollect, also called an impression. What is an impression? "Imprint" (印) means to stamp, press something onto a surface, or engrave it, to imprint and retain. "Image" (像) is the image, the trace left behind. Only after pressing and imprinting is there an image; this is called an impression. Impression is related to the mental factor of recollection (smrti) and to memory.
Impressions vary in depth. A deep impression results from repeated pressing and imprinting many times, or from deeply pressing and imprinting, leaving a profound image. Deep and repeated imprinting upon the mind is concentration (samadhi) – fixed and unchanging on one object – only then can an impression be deep. Memory contains the imprint and the image; only then can the impression be recalled when conditions arise. The prerequisites for memory are: first, there must be decisive understanding (adhimoksa), the ability to comprehend the true meaning of the experienced people, events, and phenomena, in order for it to be imprinted and form an image, enabling future memory; the other prerequisite is concentration (samadhi), repeatedly and deeply imprinting it upon the mind, to have a deep impression.
Infants have little memory ability; their memory is poor because their decisive understanding is weak. They have not experienced or encountered the vast majority of things, hence lack the ability for comparison. Additionally, their thinking power is extremely faint. Therefore, they have little decisive understanding, find it hard to retain impressions, and consequently cannot remember. Infants have weak mental power and lack concentration; they cannot fix their attention. Thus, they cannot imprint all people, events, and objects, resulting in poor memory. Most things for infants require repeated teaching and multiple repetitions by parents to achieve a little memory. However, this excludes things infants are accustomed to and interested in, such as food, drink, and toys, etc., and excludes their innate, inherent habits and interests, because these congenital habits and interests are brought from past lives; they are born with them. Ordinary people call this instinct, an innate instinctive ability for each living being to adapt and survive.
Infants' conscious minds are very weak, their perception is poor, and their thinking power is weak. Because they have little decisive understanding, their recollection power is extremely poor, and they have little memory. However, there are exceptions, such as infants having innate habits. They are very sensitive to the sense-object of touch (sparsa), yet their tolerance is relatively weak, and they cannot express themselves verbally. Therefore, they cry and fuss at the slightest discomfort to express their feelings. Food, warmth, and comfort belong to the sense-object of touch. Infants are very sensitive to these, and since nourishment is essential for the life activities of sentient beings, infants innately have decisive understanding regarding food, drink, warmth, and comfort; they have decisive understanding and memory regarding the sense-object of touch, but this is not achieved through special thinking; it is instinctive. Also, because food, drink, and bodily touch sensations are constantly present and infants frequently encounter them, it is equivalent to concentration on food, drink, and touch. Infants thus have decisive understanding, recollection, and memory regarding these. Apart from this, infants' memory is very poor.
Memory is one of the functional natures of the conscious mind. During the fetal stage, once consciousness arises, the memory function exists. Hence, prenatal education is possible. Prenatal education (commonly known as fetal education) means allowing the fetus, upon hearing sounds inside and outside the womb, to have a certain level of inner understanding, to be influenced, and thereby receive education. A fetus's consciousness is born when it is four or five months old in the mother's womb; at that time, it has perceptual ability, hence the phenomenon of fetal movement. The birth of the conscious mind is necessary for fetal movement; without consciousness, the body would not move. Because the conscious mind exists, prenatal education can have an effect; otherwise, it would be useless.
Without the conscious mind, there is no decisive understanding or memory, and the fetus cannot be educated. Fetal movement is a phenomenon of the joint activity of consciousness and body-consciousness; otherwise, movement cannot occur. Consciousness and body-consciousness can discern the environment within the womb. After discerning, there are feelings, and the body then has corresponding reactions, leading to the occurrence of fetal movement. When the fetus discerns sounds, there must be inner feelings; the inner emotions are expressed through the body, either moving from stillness to motion or from motion to stillness.
The decisive understanding, concentration, recollection, and memory mentioned above are all functional natures of the conscious mind; they are the five object-specific mental factors (viniyata-caitta) of the conscious mind, plus the mental factors of desire (chanda) and wisdom (prajna). The five consciousnesses that arise together with consciousness and function in discrimination also have the five object-specific mental factors. As long as infants have the six consciousnesses, they necessarily have the five object-specific mental factors, although these mental factors manifest weakly. As survival experience accumulates after birth, the function of the object-specific mental factors strengthens, and memory can consequently increase.
III. Question: Recollection belongs to independent consciousness (mano-vijnana, the sixth consciousness functioning alone). It also relies on the eighth consciousness outflowing seeds to recall momentarily. Why can't consciousness recognize recollections of past lives?
Answer: The conscious mind of this life is a newly born conscious mind in this life; it is not the conscious mind of a past life. The conscious mind of this life has not experienced the people and events of past lives; naturally, it has no memory of past lives. If it could recognize people and events of past lives, it could not be called recollection. Only things personally experienced can be called recollection. If it is said that one can recall past life events, that is a provisional expression, spoken from the perspective of manas, because manas connects past and future lives. Consciousness, however, is segmented life by life. The conscious mind of this life knowing past life events is, strictly speaking, not recollection but indirect knowledge. If a person with psychic powers says, "I recall past times," this "I" refers to the "I" of manas. Although manas itself cannot recollect, manas clings to the function of consciousness as self; it thus speaks this way. At this time, consciousness, through manas, discerns people and events it has never personally experienced.
The five aggregates (skandhas) of past lives and the five aggregates of the present life have a relationship of neither identity nor difference; they have both shared and unshared parts. The five aggregates of past lives, not considering the consequences for the five aggregates of the present life, committed evil karma. Therefore, the five aggregates of the present life must suffer the bitter results of the evil karma created by the five aggregates of past lives. Is there a connection between past and present lives? Definitely. Manas and the eighth consciousness are still the manas and eighth consciousness continuing from past lives; habits, dispositions, and karmic tendencies are still the same as in past lives; karmic creditors and debtors are still the same; seeds of good and evil karma are still always carried along. If evil karma continues to be created in this life, the five aggregates of future lives will suffer. Moreover, it is still one's own five aggregates that suffer; manas and the eighth consciousness do not suffer. Everyone should thus conduct themselves well.
IV. Consciousness has the obscuration of the separated aggregates (隔阴之迷). The so-called "separated aggregates" means the separated five aggregates, not the five aggregates of the same lifetime. When the five aggregates of this life cease, the five aggregates of the next life are newly born; the body and six consciousnesses are all replaced with new ones. The six consciousnesses then do not know the events of the previous life; they can no longer remember the past life. This is called the obscuration of the separated aggregates. Without cultivating the four dhyanas and eight samadhis, without the psychic power of knowing past lives (purva-nivasanusmrti-jnana), and without the karmically obtained knowledge of past lives from birth, the six consciousnesses remain completely ignorant of the experiences of past lives. Without the power to know past lives, one does not know the affairs of past and future lives. With this power, one can know all matters of one's own and others' past and future lives.
After sentient beings die in a past life, the five aggregates of this life become new; the six consciousnesses are also new and are certainly no longer the six consciousnesses of the past life. Thus, they definitely do not know the people, events, and objects of the past life. Because the six consciousnesses of this life recognize and remember all people, events, and objects on the basis of the five aggregates of this life, remembering only the events of this life, they can only know all dharmas remembered in this life. The five aggregates of this life are not the original five aggregates of the past life; therefore, the six consciousnesses naturally cannot have memory of the actions performed by the five aggregates of the past life.
However, manas has existed continuously since beginningless kalpas without ever ceasing. It itself accumulates the habitual tendencies of afflictions from life after life. Therefore, the five aggregates of this life and the five aggregates of past lives are continuous in terms of habitual tendencies and afflictions. If one does not learn and practice the Buddha Dharma, these tendencies will become increasingly heavy. The eighth consciousness has also continued since beginningless kalpas. Therefore, the five aggregates of this life and those of past lives have a connected relationship; they are not two unrelated life entities. Thus, when we learn and practice the Buddha Dharma, we should consider our future selves, not just live for this life while disregarding our future lives. If one does not wish to have the obscuration of the separated aggregates, one must cultivate the psychic power of knowing past lives. After attaining the fourth dhyana, one can accomplish this power. However, psychic powers have little relationship with liberation and wisdom. Before attaining bodhi (awakening), there is no need to cultivate psychic powers; otherwise, it becomes an obstacle on the path.
V. Question: The obscuration of the separated aggregates can lead to a situation where one had already attained awakening in a past life but needs to re-awaken in this life. Can this then be understood as a regression in practice? Especially when, under the influence of ignorance, one has created much new karma.
Answer: As long as one has not attained the psychic power of knowing past lives, even if one attained awakening in this life, future lives will not know it. At the beginning of a future life, one may not necessarily be able to believe in the Buddha or understand the Buddha Dharma. However, through the power of the good roots and merit cultivated in this life, when conditions mature in a future life, one can again enter the path of Buddha Dharma practice. Moreover, the practice in that future life will be faster than in this life. After practicing for a period, one can still realize the mind and attain awakening, thus connecting with the practice of this life. Such a person may not even need guidance from others; they can spontaneously re-awaken following the practice method of this life. Even without guidance from a virtuous teacher, they will not go astray. Furthermore, the level of their practice can not only connect with that of the previous life but can also surpass the realization level of the previous life.
When we see some people whose practice speed in this life is very fast and whose faculties are very sharp, there is no need to doubt that their foundation from past life practice is deep and solid, enabling them to achieve profound and sharp wisdom in this life's practice. Those whose practice in this life is very slow must certainly have lacked a solid foundation in learning the Buddha Dharma in past lives; their exposure to and cultivation of the Dharma were not deep enough, resulting in long practice without results, or even possibly going astray and absorbing erroneous views without realizing it. Some people practiced incorrectly in past lives, took the wrong path, and in this life still follow the inertia of past lives, continuing to practice wrong methods without repentance. Therefore, as long as one practices the Buddha Dharma correctly, as long as one attains realization, there is no need to fear the obscuration of the separated aggregates. By planting various good roots and accumulating merit in this life, the path endeavors in future lives can rapidly advance.
VI. Question: It is said that the consciousness of this life is entirely new, unrelated to past lives, and does not recognize past lives. Consciousness is born from manas contacting dharma-objects and the eighth consciousness giving birth to it. Does the consciousness thus born carry characteristics? Consciousness is new every day, all born from the eighth consciousness, without distinction. Memory is related to the subtle sense faculties; the subtle sense faculties are where images are formed. Consciousness only discriminates at the location of the subtle sense faculties. The subtle sense faculties of this life determine the characteristics of the consciousness of this life. The reason for not remembering past lives lies not in consciousness itself but in the entirely new subtle sense faculties. Because the subtle sense faculties are material form (rupa), the material form of past lives cannot be carried over by its Tathagatagarbha (eighth consciousness) and seventh consciousness (manas) into the next life. The characteristics of consciousness are related to the subtle sense faculties; the nature of consciousness is determined by the subtle sense faculties. From the fetal stage, the subtle sense faculties of this life, as well as the characteristics of the consciousness of this life, are established. The consciousness born from the same Tathagatagarbha has the same mental factors (caitta). The difference or variation still lies in the subtle sense faculties. Is this the case?
Answer: Consciousness is born after manas contacts dharma-objects and the Tathagatagarbha (eighth consciousness) gives birth to it. Consciousness depends on the five-aggregate body. When the five-aggregate body changes, and the subtle sense faculties change, consciousness changes. The subtle sense faculties upon which consciousness depends differ between past and present lives; thus, consciousness has differences. The consciousness in dreams also differs from that in the waking state. Today's consciousness and yesterday's consciousness are the same consciousness, belonging to the same five-aggregate body, remembering the same content, but there are still slight differences: understanding of things differs, viewpoints and opinions differ, memory differs, and discernment differs. Especially when karmic obstacles change and the subtle sense faculties change, the discernment and cognition of consciousness also change.
The issue of memory is related to karmic seeds, the subtle sense faculties, and manas. What manas is interested in, memory is certainly good; the more manas pays attention to something, the better the memory.
The birth of consciousness requires specific conditions. If conditions are not complete, consciousness does not arise; if conditions change, consciousness changes. The consciousness in dreams and the consciousness in the waking state have the same consciousness seeds. However, the content discerned by the independent consciousness in dreams is not easily known by the sense-consciousness accompanied consciousness in the waking state. The consciousness during a vegetative state differs even more from normal consciousness. If the subtle sense faculties are unobstructed and the brain is well-nourished, the memory function of consciousness is good. Conversely, if the brain lacks nutrition, the memory function of consciousness weakens, discernment weakens, and thinking weakens. People with cerebellar atrophy are like this; they can also experience hallucinations and abnormal discernment phenomena.
VII. Question: Why is it that when contemplating the Buddha Dharma, memory is firm, whereas when not contemplating, things memorized by rote are hard to remember?
Answer: Contemplation (觀行) is thinking. When consciousness thinks, manas is influenced (受熏). Once manas has discerned it, the eighth consciousness stores it as seeds in its own treasury. When seeds encounter conditions in the future, they can be retrieved from the treasury, and one can then "enjoy" them. If one does not contemplate but merely memorizes mechanically, manas is not influenced. Regarding this content, it remains vague. This is also stored as seeds in the treasury of the eighth consciousness, but the stored seeds are unclear. Such seeds are not easily matured, not easily manifested, or even if manifested, they are vague and unclear. Consciousness then finds it difficult to recall them clearly.
VIII. Some Buddhists are very familiar with sutras; they can recite them fluently as soon as they open their mouths, seeming to understand their meaning, but in reality, they have not truly comprehended it. Because the sutras are too familiar, it becomes difficult to reconsider their true meaning, stopping at an understanding of the surface meaning. Reading and reciting sutras use consciousness effort, which is relatively effortless, requiring no deep thought, not tiring the brain or mind. Deep thinking, however, requires engaging manas, activating brain nerve cells, consuming brain energy. The body must continuously provide qi and blood resources to the brain, making one feel mentally tired. Therefore, sentient beings choose easier tasks, merely reading and reciting sutras. Adding insufficient concentration power (samadhi-bala) and wisdom power (prajna-bala), they cannot engage in deep contemplation.
Reciting sutras and mantras are mental activities primarily involving the conscious mind, with consciousness playing a prominent role. Memorizing sutras and the Shurangama Mantra also primarily involve the conscious mind, with consciousness playing a prominent role. Once memorized thoroughly, consciousness can recite quickly and skillfully, like flowing clouds and water, very fluently, without thinking. If the recitation is slightly slower, the function of consciousness decreases somewhat, and the function of manas becomes slightly more prominent. If it is even slower, the activity of consciousness weakens, and the function of manas strengthens; the slower it is, the more manas's function is highlighted. The result is that the less activity of consciousness there is, the less fluent the recitation becomes, until finally one cannot recall what to recite.
This is because manas cannot recollect; it does not recite sutras. Recollection belongs to the function of consciousness. When the activity of consciousness weakens, its function diminishes, and recitation becomes difficult. In the waking state, the less activity of consciousness there is, the deeper the concentration (samadhi). And the deeper the concentration, the less consciousness manifests. When the activity of consciousness decreases to a certain degree, one simply cannot recite the sutra; the mouth cannot move, not a single word can be uttered, and even mental recitation may cease; one cannot recite silently in the mind.
Therefore, to cultivate good concentration (dhyana) and be able to practice introspection (參禪, Chan contemplation), one's physical, verbal, and mental actions must be slow, slow, reducing the activity of consciousness and enhancing the function of manas. When the intuitive function of manas reaches a certain level, one can directly perceive the mechanization of the physical body during walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, thereby potentially severing the view of the body (satkaya-dristi), or severing the view of self (atma-dristi), or realizing the mind (明心, seeing the nature of mind). This is uncertain, but concentration (samadhi) serves this purpose.
Without concentration, or with shallow concentration, the discerning function of consciousness is very active. Then it functions in reciting and memorizing, functioning in learning knowledge. Although the thinking of consciousness is very active, very clever and sharp, what is learned is shallow, belonging to the realm of understanding and the level of knowledge. Deep within, one has not deeply comprehended the meaning because manas has not realized it. What consciousness learns are the thoughts and viewpoints of others. Perhaps they are all spoken and realized by the Buddha, but one has not personally realized them; they all belong to the level of knowledge.
Knowledge learned this way should not be claimed to others as one's own realization, as having been proven correct by oneself; because after all, one has not yet proven it temporarily, nor found evidence. Only after manas cooperates with consciousness and deeply contemplates, truly realizing it, can the thoughts and contemplations be one's own viewpoints and understanding, one's own insight (見地). Only then can one say to others, "I think such and such." Otherwise, one should not say "I think" or "I feel." If one insists on saying "I think" or "I feel," it is merely the thinking and feeling of consciousness, unrelated to manas; it is not yet true knowledge and clear insight.
IX. Memory is the dharma-object seeds stored by the Tathagatagarbha; it is not the sense-data (相分) of the first five sense-objects. This is because the sense-objects recalled can only correspond to consciousness; the first five consciousnesses cannot discern the sense-objects that are recalled.
All dharmas can be stored as seeds. All actions of body, speech, and mind, all behaviors and creations, all experienced people, events, phenomena, and principles – that is, all six sense-object realms – are entirely stored as seeds by the Tathagatagarbha. Afterwards, when manas grasps, thinks, and seeks to discern, the Tathagatagarbha complies with the volition (cetana) of manas and outputs the seeds to become dharma-objects, which are the "appearances-only realm" (獨影境, independent images). After manas contacts and discerns them, if it wishes to discern them in detail, the Tathagatagarbha gives birth to independent consciousness (獨頭意識, mano-vijnana) to discern them one by one. This is what is called recollection; hence, recollection contains details.
The realm recalled belongs to dharma-objects; it is not what the five consciousnesses can discern. Therefore, the five consciousnesses lack the functional role of recollection. The sense-data (相分) of the first five sense-objects are also stored as seeds in the Tathagatagarbha. When conditions are complete, the Tathagatagarbha also outputs the five sense-objects. Then, based on the volition of manas, the Tathagatagarbha gives birth to the six consciousnesses to discern them. However, this does not constitute recollection.
X. Question: The Tathagatagarbha records the karmic actions of sentient beings; all memories are recorded by the Tathagatagarbha. Why do most people have no memory before the age of 2-3, or have no impression of things from early childhood?
Answer: Because the child is young, the functions of their consciousness are not yet fully developed. Events from early childhood are not easily remembered. Only after growing up, when consciousness functions are strong and they have accumulated certain life experiences, does memory become strong. When too young, the brain's subtle sense faculties are not fully developed; thus, the consciousness functions dependent on the subtle sense faculties are weak. For example, in the womb, the fetus also has consciousness; perhaps it can remember some things, but after leaving the womb, it knows nothing. Before the age of one, two, three, or five, most events experienced cannot be remembered. At that time, the brain is not yet fully developed, and the memory and recollection functions of consciousness are not yet strong enough.
Some people have brain problems; those with insufficient brain nutrition forget things shortly after doing them. Brain malnutrition can lead to poor memory. Therefore, the recollection function of the conscious mind also utilizes the material of the brain. If the brain is underdeveloped, memory is poor. The functional role of consciousness depends on the brain.
