A Brief Discourse on the Essence of Consciousness

Chapter Seven   Consciousness and the Internal Manifestation within the Subtle Root Faculty

1. Where is the sensation of pain in the foot generated? Does the physical foot itself feel pain?

The sensation of pain is generated within the subtle root faculty; the gross root faculty of the foot does not feel pain. What feels pain is the body consciousness and mental consciousness, and body consciousness and mental consciousness are born within the subtle root faculty, where they perceive the painful tactile object of internal touch, because the internal tactile object arises within the subtle root faculty, so body consciousness and mental consciousness must be born within the subtle root faculty to cognize the tactile object.

Sensations from all parts of the body are generated within the subtle root faculty. Even if a toe is injured, the pain is felt in the subtle root faculty located at the back of the brain. The gross root faculty of the foot does not experience pain. This is because the gross root faculty can only be contacted by the Tathagatagarbha; consciousness cannot contact it. The Tathagatagarbha has no cognitive function regarding tactile objects; the gross root faculty itself is matter and has no sensation. Only consciousness has sensation; it is the body consciousness and mental consciousness that perceive touch.

The Tathagatagarbha contacts the tactile object through the gross root faculty, absorbs the subtle particles of the four great elements, and transmits them via the neural pathways of the body faculty to the subtle root faculty at the back of the brain. When the faculty and object contact each other, the Tathagatagarbha gives rise to body consciousness and mental consciousness. When the faculty, object, and consciousness then combine in contact, these two consciousnesses are able to feel the pain. The tactile object from the foot is transmitted via the nervous system to the subtle root faculty, giving rise to body consciousness and mental consciousness, only then can it be cognized. There is no conscious mind at the gross root faculty to cognize the tactile object.

As for whether pain can be felt, it depends on whether the body's neural transmission system is normal. If it is abnormal, consciousness cannot arise, and the pain sensation cannot be cognized, yet the problem with the foot is real. People with issues in the back of the brain feel no pain even if their foot is severed, but the foot being severed is indeed a fact. Wherever there is injury, if anesthesia is applied, pain will not be felt. Once the anesthesia wears off, the tactile object can again be transmitted within the subtle root faculty, body consciousness and mental consciousness arise, and pain can be felt again.

If there is a problem with the subtle root faculty in the back of the brain, pain in the body cannot be felt. This is not beneficial because the intermediate neural pathways are damaged and interrupted. If one does not know about a bone fracture due to lack of pain, it could lead to paralysis; if one does not feel the pain of cancer, one only awaits death.

Only the Tathagatagarbha can cognize the body faculty. The mental faculty (manas) precedes body consciousness and mental consciousness and can also rely on the Tathagatagarbha to cognize the body faculty. The painful tactile object is generated at the subtle root faculty in the back of the brain and contacts the subtle root faculty. The Tathagatagarbha gives rise to body consciousness and mental consciousness; these two cognize the painful tactile object within the subtle root faculty and cannot cognize the tactile object at the toe. So who cognizes the tactile object at the toe? It is contacted by the Tathagatagarbha, but the Tathagatagarbha also does not differentiate; it does not know whether the foot hurts or not.

When sleeping soundly at night, if the six consciousnesses have ceased and the foot suddenly hurts, it can wake one up. Why can one wake up? Because the body faculty contacts the painful tactile object, the mental faculty cognizes that the problem is somewhat serious and causes mental consciousness to awaken to cognize what is happening. Thus, the Tathagatagarbha gives rise to mental consciousness and body consciousness, and the person wakes up. The tactile object at the foot's location is the external manifestation; transmitted to the subtle root faculty, it becomes the internal manifestation. To clearly distinguish who contacts the external manifestation and who contacts the internal manifestation is to clarify the functions of each consciousness. The Tathagatagarbha relies on the gross root faculty to cognize the external manifestation of the six dusts (objects) and then displays the internal manifestation of the six dusts at the subtle root faculty. The external manifestation is certainly cognized by the Tathagatagarbha; it possesses the seeing aspect.

Seeing one's own toe bleeding—where does this phenomenon of bleeding appear? It is the internal form dust within the subtle root faculty cognized by eye consciousness and mental consciousness. The flowing blood is form dust. The Tathagatagarbha contacts the form dust (blood) through the eye's gross root faculty, transmits it via the eye's neural pathways to the subtle root faculty, where faculty and object contact, giving rise to eye consciousness and mental consciousness, which then cognize the phenomenon of bleeding.

2. After a person is anesthetized, the Tathagatagarbha cannot normally transmit the external six dusts into the subtle root faculty through the gross root faculties. This is because anesthesia numbs the neural transmission system; the external six dusts cannot be transmitted via the nervous system to manifest the internal tactile object at the subtle root faculty, body consciousness cannot arise, and the person does not know pain.

The Tathagatagarbha can always contact and cognize the external six dusts, regardless of whether the gross root faculties are normal or even existent. If the gross root faculties are abnormal, the Tathagatagarbha cannot transmit the subtle particles of the five dusts through them, or cannot transmit them normally, causing the five dusts to become distorted. The gross root faculties contacted and cognized by the Tathagatagarbha are manifestations, not seeds. Seeds reside in the seed state within the Tathagatagarbha; they have no form or appearance; what has form and appearance is not a seed.

Anesthesia is used to numb the central nervous system of the subtle root faculty or parts of the neural pathways to prevent consciousness from arising and perceiving pain. Except during the state of actual death, the Tathagatagarbha can always perceive the external six dusts through the gross root faculties; nothing can affect it.

If it is general anesthesia, all five faculties cannot function, and the Tathagatagarbha cannot cognize and transmit the six dusts. If this state lasts too long, the mental faculty may lose hope, consider leaving the physical body, and contemplate rebirth. In fact, when the body is anesthetized, blood still flows without stopping or coagulating, breathing still exists without ceasing, the heart still beats without stopping—the person is still alive. Therefore, the Tathagatagarbha can cognize and manifest the five dusts through the five faculties to maintain the life activities of the physical body. Blood flow, heartbeat, and breathing all belong to the realm of the six dusts; the Tathagatagarbha is still upholding and manifesting them; it certainly can cognize the six dusts. The mental faculty relies on this to cognize and thus knows that it is still alive and the body can still be used.

Anesthesia can only numb the nerves, preventing them from transmitting signals normally, or transmitting weak and distorted neural signals, or transmitting only partially; it cannot completely stop transmission. Otherwise, the mental faculty cognizes nothing; it will panic and, upon losing hope, may decide to leave the physical body, resulting in death.

During severe general anesthesia, a person's first six consciousnesses have ceased, just like being asleep without dreams. The arising of the six consciousnesses necessarily requires the mental faculty and mental objects as conditions. At this time, the mental faculty is certainly unimpaired and definitely wants mental consciousness to arise. The problem certainly lies with the six dusts. The effect of anesthetic drugs acts directly on the subtle root faculty in the brain. The Tathagatagarbha can still cognize the external manifestation, but the internal five dusts and mental objects certainly cannot manifest completely; only a part can manifest, insufficient to guarantee the birth of conscious minds. Waking up from unconsciousness occurs when the anesthetic drugs lose their effect and can no longer numb the central nervous system. The Tathagatagarbha can then transmit the subtle particles of the six dusts to the subtle root faculty via the neural pathways; the internal six dusts are born and manifest normally; only then can mental consciousness appear, the five consciousnesses appear, and the person awakens from unconsciousness.

The Tathagatagarbha's cognition of the body faculty involves not only cognizing seeds but also cognizing the essential realm, which is the external six dusts. The mental faculty can also rely on the seeing aspect of the Tathagatagarbha, possess its own seeing nature, and cognize the body faculty; it certainly can know whether the body faculty is functional. The numbing effect of drugs generally does not last too long. During this period, there are still some minor internal manifestations of the six dusts present; the mental faculty will not decide to relinquish the body. It knows the body faculty can still be used and holds hope for the five aggregates body. However, if the drug effect lasts too long, the mental faculty, lacking certainty, may also make a wrong decision and abandon the body faculty.

Although during anesthesia the central nervous system cannot transmit the manifestations of the six dusts normally, and the six dusts within the subtle root faculty are weak and incomplete, darkness is also form, and silence is also sound—it is impossible for there to be absolutely no internal six dusts within the subtle root faculty. A blind person seeing darkness is still seeing; a deaf person hearing silence, the absence of sound is still sound. During anesthetized unconsciousness, the six dusts certainly exist. While unconscious, the mental faculty will try its best to regain clarity. Based on what does it try? It can cognize the six dusts, thus it strives to regain clarity, not wanting to remain unconscious. To regain clarity, there must be mental objects derived from the five dusts; having only the mental-image-only realm is insufficient; there must also be the essential realm. It's just that these realms are not very strong, relatively weak, and the Tathagatagarbha cannot rely on them to give rise to the six consciousnesses for cognition.

During anesthetized unconsciousness, the Tathagatagarbha, relying on the abnormal subtle root faculty, certainly manifests abnormal mental objects. Some individuals who regain consciousness after being unconscious report having seemingly dreamed or experienced certain realms. This indicates it is not completely devoid of internal six dusts; the mental-image-only realm can still manifest. Therefore, the mental faculty cannot abandon the physical body, and the sentient being cannot die.

General anesthesia numbs the tactile nerves, preventing sensation of pain in certain parts of the body. The painful tactile sensation from this part cannot be transmitted to the subtle root faculty, so there is no body consciousness or mental consciousness to feel the pain in that part. Severe anesthesia may also cause death if the anesthetized area is too large, affecting the gross root faculties, preventing normal blood circulation and oxygen delivery; the heartbeat and pulse will gradually stop. Then the five aggregates truly cannot function; the mental faculty cognizes this and will certainly leave the physical body, resulting in death.

3. The internal six dusts cognized by the six consciousnesses are form dharmas composed of actual seeds of the four great elements, called the essential realm. The illusory realms arising based on the essential realm are the substance-involving realm.

The objects cognized by the five consciousnesses are the essential realm, perceived through direct perception. The objects cognized by mental consciousness include the essential realm, the substance-involving realm, and the mental-image-only realm, involving direct perception, inference, and erroneous perception. The mental faculty takes the seeing aspect of the eighth consciousness as its own seeing, regards all dharmas manifested by the eighth consciousness as its own, belonging to itself. This is mistaken knowledge and mistaken attachment, hence it is erroneous perception.

Examples of the substance-involving realm cognized by mental consciousness are as follows: Pressing the eye causes the appearance of a second moon; in reality, there is no second moon, only one moon—the second moon is an illusory substance-involving realm. Mental consciousness mistakes a distant lamp in the dark night for a ghost fire; in reality, there is no ghost fire, only a lamp—the ghost fire is an illusory substance-involving realm. Mental consciousness mistakes a seen rope for a snake; in reality, there is no snake, only a rope—the snake is an illusory substance-involving realm. Mental consciousness mistakes a seen person A for person B; in reality, there is no person B, only person A—person B is an illusory substance-involving realm.

4. Question: Mental consciousness is clearly affected by the brain organ. For example, when fatigued or drowsy, the reasoning ability and speed of mental consciousness decline. Also, as people age, the reasoning ability and speed of mental consciousness decline. For instance, Go players must achieve success in their teens or twenties. All this indicates that mental consciousness is closely related to material form (rupa). Is this the case?

Answer: The thinking activities of mental consciousness are indeed closely related to the material form of the brain, but this does not indicate that mental consciousness possesses material attributes; it only shows that body and mind are interdependent and mutually influential. When the body is fatigued, weary, or aged, the structure of the four great elements of the body changes. The Tathagatagarbha, relying on this, manifests altered internal six dusts; the subtle root faculty changes, and the cognitive minds' discernment must differ accordingly. When the internal six dusts manifested by the Tathagatagarbha in the subtle root faculty gradually diminish, become distorted, and deformed, the six consciousnesses—especially mental consciousness—cognizing the six dusts also gradually become more laborious, distorted, and inflexible.

The principle for the birth of the six consciousnesses: Faculty and object contact, the Tathagatagarbha gives rise to consciousness. If the faculty undergoes alteration, the cognitive function of consciousness encounters obstacles. If the object changes, the cognitive function of consciousness encounters obstacles. The consciousness seeds themselves never change. The structure of the seed elements composing the body constantly changes according to karma and various conditions; material form (rupa) continuously undergoes change. Neural transmission all occurs through the body faculty and the five faculties; it cannot be separated from the five faculties. The Tathagatagarbha, relying on the five faculties, transmits subtle particles of the four great elements, manifesting the internal six dusts. The Tathagatagarbha also relies on the subtle root faculty to manifest mental objects. When the faculties and objects change, the conscious minds also change accordingly, and cognition inevitably encounters problems.

Mental objects are manifested based on the subtle root faculty. If the subtle root faculty has problems, the cognition of mental consciousness inevitably has problems. The five sense consciousnesses accompanied by mental consciousness cannot exist apart from the five dusts, cannot exist apart from the five faculties, cannot exist apart from the subtle root faculty. Solitary mental consciousness still cannot exist apart from the subtle root faculty. If the subtle root faculty is obstructed, solitary mental consciousness cannot arise, and the person remains in a state of unconsciousness. If solitary mental consciousness had no relationship with the subtle root faculty, then the solitary mental consciousness of a comatose patient should also be normal, without problems. However, the solitary mental consciousness of a comatose patient rarely arises; they do not engage in thinking, analysis, judgment, or reasoning, and almost cannot recall. Therefore, we conclude that: The arising of mental consciousness has a close relationship with material form (rupa) and also a close relationship with the subtle root faculty of the brain.

5. Although the six consciousnesses cognize the internal six dusts within the subtle root faculty and contact the internal six dusts, the conscious minds are not inside, outside, or in the middle of the physical body. In the first volume of the Shurangama Sutra, the World Honored One addressed this issue, stating that the conscious mind is not inside, outside, or in the middle of the physical body. This is because the conscious mind is formless and cannot reside within the physical body; if it resided within, one could discover the location of the conscious mind by dissecting the body.

However, when you cut the body apart piece by piece, you cannot find the conscious mind; therefore, the conscious mind is not inside the physical body. The conscious mind is not outside the physical body either; if the conscious mind were outside the physical body, it would be in empty space. Then the six consciousnesses would be unrelated to oneself, not belonging to oneself. If the six consciousnesses in empty space could act upon oneself, they could equally act upon other sentient beings; mental consciousness would be shared, which is impossible. If the conscious mind were between the physical body and empty space, there is no truly existing place called "between"; the so-called middle position cannot be found. Therefore, the conscious mind is not inside, outside, or in the middle of the physical body.

6. When the left hand grasps the right hand, one can feel the coldness of the left hand and the warmth of the right hand. Each hand has its own perception. So how many body consciousnesses and mental consciousnesses does one person actually have?

All six consciousnesses are born at the subtle root faculty in the back of the brain, where they cognize the six dusts within the subtle root faculty. Both the left and right hands, including the tactile objects, are within the subtle root faculty; sensations are felt within the subtle root faculty. Since this is the case, how many eye consciousnesses and mental consciousnesses can there be? Cognizing one hundred form dusts, touching one hundred kinds of touch—all are form dusts and tactile dusts within the subtle root faculty, all cognized and felt within the subtle root faculty. At the point of touch on the warm hand, body consciousness and mental consciousness cognize; at the point of touch on the cold hand, body consciousness and mental consciousness cognize. The conscious mind divides its flow to perceive; concentration is dispersed. The conscious mind does not cognize outside the subtle root faculty. To perceive a hundred things at once requires extremely high concentration. The Thousand-Armed Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara has hands and eyes all over the body. What does this imply?

7. Being bitten by a mosquito on the foot causes intense itching, yet one cannot pinpoint exactly where it itches. What principle does this illustrate? Shifting attention to ponder a problem causes the itching to no longer be felt. Why?

The tactile object from the external foot is transmitted to become the internal tactile object within the subtle root faculty. The mental faculty and mental consciousness cognize the tactile object within the subtle root faculty but cannot clearly distinguish the specific location. Perhaps it's due to problems with the neural pathways, or the location was not transmitted clearly, or the manifestation is unclear, or the conscious mind cannot clearly discern it. In any case, the tactile object cognized by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses is not the real tactile object of the foot. Therefore, we should not be overly attached to the forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and mental objects contacted by the seven consciousnesses, because they are all illusory and unreal. And the seven consciousnesses themselves are also illusory and unreal; the sensations of the seven consciousnesses are equally illusory and unreal. Therefore, the conscious mind, feelings, and perceptions are not the self.

When the mental faculty and mental consciousness do not attend to the internal tactile object of the foot, there is no clear sensation. Therefore, shifting attention causes the itching to no longer be felt, revealing the illusory nature of sensation.

8. The height of a mountain and the depth of water—height and depth are shape and appearance forms. The manifest form (color/appearance) of the mountain can set off the shape form of its height; the shape form of the mountain's height can define the scope of the mountain's color. The manifest form of water can set off the appearance form of its depth; the appearance form of the water's depth can define the volume of water. The manifest forms of the five dusts (colors) and the mental objects of shape forms, appearance forms, and non-appearance forms are tightly integrated and inseparable even for a moment. Otherwise, no kind of form could exist or manifest. Therefore, it is said that external dusts necessarily include mental objects; the six dusts are complete and cannot consist only of the external five dusts without mental objects simultaneously. External five dusts without mental objects do not exist; they are imagined.

The claim that mental objects are manifested in the subtle root faculty at the back of the brain based on the five dusts has no basis whatsoever; it is entirely unfounded. External dusts must have the complete characteristic of the six dusts. When the Tathagatagarbha initially creates them, it cannot create only colors and other manifest forms alone, without form or substance—a vast expanse of mere color. The world is not constituted solely by colors. Various objects each have their shape and properties; only then do they form the rich and diverse material world. For example, when the Tathagatagarbha creates the five aggregates body, it cannot create only the color of the physical body and then have the height, shortness, fatness, thinness, etc. (mental objects) manifested separately in others' subtle root faculties. This is absolutely impossible; no matter who imagines it, they cannot imagine such humans and sentient beings.

Another example: The golden ground of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss cannot have only the golden color without hardness, vastness, and boundaries; otherwise, how could one walk on the golden ground? The Tathagatagarbha is like a mirror reflecting images; the mirror faithfully reflects the original appearance of the external form. It cannot be that the original form lacks length, size, height, shortness, fatness, or thinness, yet the Tathagatagarbha arbitrarily projects length, squareness, roundness, size, height, shortness, fatness, or thinness onto the mirror surface. How could it project that? Would the Tathagatagarbha still be like a mirror reflecting images?

9. Someone abroad invented a cup that uses electromagnetic waves of a certain frequency to stimulate the mouth and tongue, creating the illusion of drinking water, even though there is no water—only electromagnetic waves. After being stimulated by the electromagnetic waves, the person no longer feels thirsty. The actual principle is: The electromagnetic waves are transmitted to the gross root faculty in the oral cavity, to the gross root faculty of the tongue, then transmitted via the nervous system to the subtle root faculty in the back of the brain, forming the image of water. Contacting the tongue faculty, body consciousness, tongue consciousness, and mental consciousness arise. The conscious minds contact the image of water; after sensation and perception, they think and decide to drink. Afterwards, a sensation of drinking arises, believing water has been consumed. Thus, one feels satisfied and no longer thirsty. Consider food, drink, and all dharmas—how illusory they are! Yet we constantly crave them everywhere, always deceiving ourselves. How foolish and pitiable!

Sentient beings are essentially deceiving themselves and others, living in an illusory sensory world. If one is given a piece of pork in the dark, thinking it is human flesh, one will have a special feeling and thus develop craving. If the person sees it is a piece of pork, they will feel disgusted. It can be seen that all dharmas are merely sensations of one's own mind. People are often deceived by their own sensations, immersed in various sensations unable to extricate themselves. The more one thinks about it, the more pitiable and lamentable we sentient beings seem.

Since beginningless kalpas, humans have actually been eating, drinking, playing, and enjoying themselves amidst heaps of particles of the four great elements. What they eat, wear, live in, use, play with, and enjoy are all heaps of particles of the four great elements. The Tathagatagarbha uses countless particles of the four great elements to pile up various toys; sentient beings play joyfully within these toys, deeply immersed and unwilling to emerge, just like children playing house.

There is also a new function on mobile phones: The screen transmits an electromagnetic wave to the hand, and the hand genuinely feels it has touched a certain object. The human neural transmission system is like fiber optics; what runs inside are electrical signals. By giving people electromagnetic wave stimuli of different frequencies, one can be satisfied with everything. When craving arises again in our minds, we should realize that the object of our craving is merely various electromagnetic waves—in essence, particles of the four great elements. Sentient beings are truly pitiful enough, deceived by themselves, dizzied by the Tathagatagarbha's deception for countless kalpas, yet unaware of being deceived.

What I hold in my hand, superficially seen as a mobile phone, is in essence a mass of particles combined into an illusory image; in the back of the head, there is no real mobile phone. What is the so-called sensation of body consciousness and mental consciousness? It is an illusory feeling produced when the continuous flow of consciousness seeds operates like an unbroken stream of water or electricity. Once the consciousness seeds disconnect, the conscious mind vanishes, and there is no master to feel. So what is this so-called sensation? Is it you?

Saying is one thing, doing is another. Saying is done by mental consciousness; doing is done by the mental faculty—they are not the same mind, hence the result is like this. Without the power of meditative concentration, nothing can be accomplished; it's just empty talk. These theories are ultimately just theories. Without meditative concentration and without actual realization, one cannot truly know reality; the mind cannot transform to become pure and free.