A Brief Discourse on the Essence of Consciousness

Chapter 8   The Combined Operation of Eye Consciousness and Mental Consciousness

1. When the eye faculty contacts a form object, this form object is the internal form object within the superior sense base (adhipati-pratyaya) in the hindbrain. At this moment, the eye consciousness (cakṣur-vijñāna) arises first to discriminate. This is because the Tathāgatagarbha first manifests the apparent colors (varṇa) of the form object at the eye's superior sense base. These apparent colors correspond to the eye consciousness and are also discriminated by it. Therefore, when the sense faculty and object contact each other, the eye consciousness arises first. After the eye consciousness arises, it discriminates the apparent colors of the internal form object. Simultaneously, based on the apparent colors, the Tathāgatagarbha further manifests form colors (saṃsthāna), signifying colors (vijñapti), and non-signifying colors (avijñapti). These three types of colors are called dharma realm phenomena (dharmāyatana-prapti-rūpa) or phenomena included in the dharma realm.

Phenomena included in the dharma realm correspond to the mental faculty (manas) and mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna); they are the objects discriminated by mental consciousness and belong to the dharma objects (dharmas). When the dharma objects contact the mental faculty, the Tathāgatagarbha gives rise to mental consciousness, which then discriminates the phenomena included in the dharma realm. Therefore, when we see a form, the first ksana (instant) involves the eye consciousness first contacting the apparent colors on the internal form object and discriminating the apparent colors. The second ksana involves the mental consciousness contacting the form colors, signifying colors, and non-signifying colors on the internal form object, discriminating the phenomena included in the dharma realm. Then, in the third ksana, the eye consciousness continues to arise, and mental consciousness also arises continuously. Thus, in the third ksana, eye consciousness and mental consciousness simultaneously discriminate the internal form object. The combined operation of both eye consciousness and mental consciousness is necessary to completely discriminate the entirety of the internal form object.

On a single form object, apparent colors, form colors, signifying colors, and non-signifying colors must simultaneously manifest to form a complete appearance of the form object. Eye consciousness and mental consciousness must operate together, jointly discriminating this internal form object, in order to know its apparent colors, form colors, signifying colors, and non-signifying colors, thereby achieving complete and clear discrimination. Discrimination is unclear in the first and second ksanas, and the form object cannot be clearly seen. Only in the third ksana can it be seen a little bit, because in the third ksana, eye consciousness and mental consciousness jointly discriminate the complete form object.

The form object discriminated by each consciousness seed (vijñāna-bīja) is compared with the form object discriminated previously. Only when more of the form object has been discriminated can the preceding and succeeding parts of the form object be connected. Only then can mental consciousness and eye consciousness know what the complete image of this form is. Consciousness seeds flow out one by one, discriminating the form object bit by bit. The form discriminated by the subsequent eye consciousness seed must be connected and compared with the form discriminated by the preceding eye consciousness seed. Only after connection can the form be known.

At the initial stage of discrimination, mental consciousness is not very clear; it cannot recall or compare the form object, nor can it analyze or judge. The first ksana passes very quickly; discrimination is incomplete and cannot be compared, so it is vague. The second ksana also passes very quickly; there is still nothing to compare, so it remains vague and unclear. Only in the third ksana is a little bit discriminated, giving a general idea. After the third ksana, comparable content finally exists; the image of the form object can be connected from front to back, allowing a vague discrimination of some content and knowledge of what the form object is. Moreover, the third ksana involves discrimination by both eye consciousness and mental consciousness, so the complete form of the form object can be discriminated, and the form can then manifest a complete shape, revealing an extremely faint general outline of the form object. In the subsequent fourth, fifth, and sixth ksanas, both eye consciousness and mental consciousness jointly discriminate the internal form object, resulting in clearer discrimination. The longer the discrimination lasts, the clearer and more thorough it becomes.

When we look at a form entity, the first glance requires a pause, during which many ksanas pass. Only after discrimination lasting half a second or a second can we know what this form entity is. The Buddha said: In the snap of a finger, eighty-one thousand seeds arise and cease, meaning eighty-one thousand ksanas pass. How incredibly fast, then, is the flow of consciousness seeds! No wonder we cannot perceive the phenomenon of arising and ceasing; it happens too rapidly.

This shows that in the first and second ksanas, we do not know what the form object is. Only after the third or fourth ksana can we know a little bit of the form object. Some people might need until the fifth ksana or longer to see a little bit clearly. For people with visual impairments, it might take half a minute or a minute; the exact time depends on the individual's discriminatory ability, that is, the discriminatory power of both eye consciousness and mental consciousness. The weaker a person's discriminatory ability, the longer the time needed. For example, people who are nearsighted or farsighted, those with visual impairments, require more time to discriminate form objects. Additionally, some people with inferior wisdom and shallow knowledge need even longer discrimination times.

However, during this process of seeing, the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) never ceases its operation. From before the first ksana when it gives rise to the internal form object, it continuously transmits particles of the external form object. It transmits continuously, passing through the optic nerve to the superior sense base, where it manifests apparent colors. After manifesting apparent colors, based on them, it further manifests form colors, signifying colors, and non-signifying colors. Simultaneously, it continuously extracts the four great elements (mahābhūta) particles from the external form object and continues to manifest apparent colors, form colors, signifying colors, and non-signifying colors. If the eighth consciousness were to stop in any ksana, ceasing to transmit the four great elements particles to the superior sense base and no longer manifesting these internal form objects, then eye consciousness would immediately vanish, becoming unable to see the form object, and mental consciousness would also immediately vanish, becoming unable to discriminate the form object. In other words, without the arising of eye consciousness and mental consciousness, these two consciousnesses certainly cannot discriminate the form object.

Therefore, the eighth consciousness never ceases operation in any ksana; it constantly transmits and manifests these form objects. After these form objects are transmitted to the hindbrain's superior sense base, the internal form objects manifest. The eighth consciousness never stops for even a moment; it is always manifesting. If it were to cease manifestation for even one ksana, the form objects would stop manifesting, and eye consciousness and mental consciousness would both cease and become unable to discriminate. Without form objects, there is no existence of consciousness. The arising of consciousness depends on the contact between the sense faculty and object as a condition. Based on this condition, the eighth consciousness then manifests eye consciousness and mental consciousness, enabling us to see the internal form objects.

If there are no form objects, the arising of consciousness lacks an important condition, and the eighth consciousness cannot give rise to the six consciousnesses; naturally, the six consciousnesses do not exist. When the form objects disappear, the eye consciousness and mental consciousness that were just discriminating them immediately cease. Once consciousness ceases, it cannot discriminate form objects, and there is also no object to discriminate. Therefore, the eighth consciousness has never been idle, rested, or stopped for even a single ksana since beginningless time. It tirelessly operates without cease in this manner, selflessly serving us.

If someone claims they can see forms using only eye consciousness, is this possible? It is impossible. A single form has apparent colors, form colors, signifying colors, and non-signifying colors. Apparent colors are the colors themselves—blue, yellow, red, white. Eye consciousness can only discriminate apparent colors; it cannot discriminate form colors, signifying colors, or non-signifying colors. One cannot look at a form and see only its apparent colors; one must also see the shape of the form, its connotation—form colors, signifying colors, and non-signifying colors must all be discriminated. What is the essence of the form? What is its nominal designation? All must be known to complete discrimination. Therefore, mental consciousness must participate in discrimination to clearly know the form object. Apart from color, the rest of those aspects belong to phenomena included in the dharma realm, which are discriminated by mental consciousness. Only colors like blue, yellow, red, white, etc., are discriminated by eye consciousness. Only when both eye consciousness and mental consciousness jointly and harmoniously discriminate can we know what the form object truly is.

Therefore, to see a form, to see it clearly, to analyze and judge what the seen form object is, eye consciousness and mental consciousness must operate together harmoniously. Only when both jointly discriminate can we know what the object in front is. Whether it is a book, a table and chairs, or a cup, these objects not only have color but also shapes like length, shortness, squareness, roundness, as well as material, texture, and other connotations—many aspects require discrimination. Eye consciousness alone absolutely cannot discriminate with complete clarity. Mental consciousness must simultaneously discriminate together with eye consciousness; only when both operate harmoniously can we clearly see the material form (rūpa-dharma) of these substances.

Through careful observation and experience, we can know that when we see an object, the first ksana involves seeing what color the object in front is—certainly seeing the object's color first, with a vague color appearing first. The second ksana involves mental consciousness arising to discriminate, at which point a slight image is discriminated. The third ksana allows knowing what that bit of image is as a form object, at which point the shape of the form object emerges. Afterwards, the connotative characteristics of the form object can be known, and the specific nominal designation of that form object can be known. Then, whether it's the sofa, bed, table and chairs, or other objects in front, once their nominal designations, appearances, essences, and connotations are clearly seen, this is called discrimination (vijñapti).

If one wishes to discriminate more complex things, the time required for discrimination will be longer. For example, seeing a person, discriminating their age, judging their temperament, knowledge, cultivation, etc., requires mental consciousness to discriminate for a longer time, and eye consciousness also needs to look for a longer time. These two consciousnesses must definitely operate together harmoniously to see this person clearly. Among these, eye consciousness only discriminates colors; everything apart from color is discriminated by mental consciousness. Mental consciousness has a very large workload; the content it discriminates is immense. Therefore, mental consciousness is quite important. Especially in studying Buddhism and cultivation, mental consciousness must be used for contemplation and practice (bhāvanā). Thus, mental consciousness is a very important tool for realization in Buddhist study and practice. Without the participation of mental consciousness, we cannot study Buddhism, practice, engage in Chan meditation to realize the Way, or become Buddhas. Therefore, we cannot abandon mental consciousness and not use it. If one studies Buddhism and practices without contemplation or practice, this is no different from ignorance.

2. The first consciousness seed of eye-accompanied mental consciousness (cakṣuḥ-samprayukta-mano-vijñāna) arises necessarily after the first consciousness seed of eye consciousness. Then, the consciousness seeds of both consciousnesses arise simultaneously, without sequence. The arising of the second and subsequent eye consciousness seeds necessarily involves mental consciousness operating alongside; otherwise, they cannot arise. We can space out and personally experience this: when seeing a form, does eye consciousness see first or mental consciousness see first? If mental consciousness sees first, then in the form colors seen by mental consciousness, is there absolutely no color of any kind—neither white nor brightness, nor black nor darkness, let alone red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, or purple? Clearly not.

Further observe and experience: when not seeing a form, does mental consciousness disappear first, eye consciousness disappear first, or do they disappear simultaneously? According to theory, mental consciousness disappears first, and eye consciousness disappears afterwards. This is because dharma objects rely on form objects to manifest. For example, the length, shortness, squareness, roundness of form colors—without the color of apparent colors, length, shortness, squareness, and roundness cannot be contrasted and manifested. If the form object does not exist and disappears, dharma objects certainly cannot exist. When dharma objects disappear, the form object can linger for one ksana—only one ksana; there cannot be a second ksana, otherwise eye consciousness could exist alone. It is impossible for the form object to be gone while dharma objects still exist; this is absolutely impossible. Therefore, eye consciousness cannot disappear before mental consciousness. When waking up, the opposite occurs: mental consciousness necessarily exists before the five sense consciousnesses, or solitary mental consciousness (kāma-manas) transforms into sense-accompanied mental consciousness (pañca-vijñāna-samprayukta-manas), and then the five sense consciousnesses arise.

3. Question: One theory in Vijñapti-mātratā (Consciousness-Only) is that mental consciousness is the concomitant support (sahabhū-hetu) for the five sense consciousnesses. Therefore, mental consciousness must necessarily arise prior to the five sense consciousnesses or simultaneously with them; it cannot arise after the five sense consciousnesses, right?

Answer: The actual experience in meditative concentration (dhyāna) is that eye consciousness and ear consciousness discriminate form and sound one ksana earlier, and immediately afterwards, the subtle aspects of the form and sound are discovered—this is discovered by mental consciousness; it is a fact. Perhaps mental consciousness takes one more ksana to discriminate the dharma object a little more clearly, to recognize what the dharma object is, making its discrimination time one ksana longer than that of the five sense consciousnesses. But such a short time can be disregarded. The vast majority of people without meditative concentration will never discover this fact. Whether in worldly matters or the Buddha Dharma, facts are always more important than theory. Studying Buddhism is precisely to realize the true reality of all dharmas, not to rigidly learn theory without being able to verify it, thereby failing to generate wisdom and attain liberation.

4. Human eyes have the phenomenon of visual persistence: the actual form has already ceased, but its image lingers for a while. Is this lingering image the image-only realm (pratibimba) discriminated by mental consciousness alone? It is not the image-only realm; there is also a form object realm. Vision is the combined function of eye consciousness and mental consciousness. Visual persistence should involve the apparent colors seen by eye consciousness, but simultaneously, mental consciousness must be discriminating form colors, signifying colors, and non-signifying colors. Mental consciousness must also have a lingering function; eye consciousness cannot have a visual persistence function alone, otherwise it wouldn't be a complete form object. What lingers is not the image-only realm; the image-only realm is discriminated solely by solitary mental consciousness. Here, eye consciousness is still jointly discriminating. Because there is visual persistence, we perceive the act of seeing forms as continuous and the discriminated form objects as continuous. Actually, neither is continuous; they arise and cease instantaneously, being discontinuous, ceasing and then continuing again.

5. Observe during moments of "looking without seeing": does one know there is brightness in front? If one knows there is brightness in front, then there is discrimination by eye consciousness, and mental consciousness has very slight discrimination. Because mental consciousness diverts part of its attention, or most of its attention, to thinking about other important matters, its discrimination is very slight, resulting in the phenomenon of "looking without seeing." Observe when seeing a form: is it first knowing there is brightness, an image, and then knowing the subtle aspects of the object? If so, it indicates that eye consciousness arises first, followed by mental consciousness. Without direct perception (pratyakṣa) observation and with poor meditative concentration, plus erroneous theory, one absolutely cannot reach the correct conclusion.

At the initial stage of discriminating a certain dharma, concerning whether the five sense consciousnesses arise first or mental consciousness arises first—once both have arisen, the issue of which consciousness arises first no longer applies. Closing the eyes and then opening them again involves the question of whether eye consciousness or mental consciousness arises first. Even with eyes closed, through the eyelids, one can still sense brightness—this is eye consciousness not having ceased, still able to discriminate apparent colors. Eye consciousness only discriminates apparent colors—the colors on the form object. The first volume of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra describes this.

The five sense consciousnesses discriminate the parts of the four great elements particles that the Tathāgatagarbha manifests in the superior sense base based on extracting the four great elements particles from the external five sense objects (rūpa, śabda, gandha, rasa, sparśa) and transmitting them through the sensory nerves. These are the coarser parts of form, close to the essential realm (svalakṣaṇa) of the external six sense objects contacted and discriminated by the Tathāgatagarbha. Eye consciousness seeing form only needs to reapply attention (manasikāra) at the beginning. For example, if there are many things in a room, and eye consciousness shifts from one place to another, changing the seen object, eye consciousness must reapply attention, and mental consciousness must also reapply attention. Therefore, when the seen form changes, it involves the issue of the arising of eye consciousness and mental consciousness. But no matter what, eye consciousness arises first, and mental consciousness arises one ksana later. When seeing a form, eye consciousness always sees the vague colors first—whether it is empty or has substance. Mental consciousness sees the form, size, length, roundness, squareness, content, connotation, etc., afterwards. But when awakening from sleep, solitary mental consciousness necessarily transforms into sense-accompanied mental consciousness, arises first, and then the five sense consciousnesses arise afterwards. This order is reversed compared to when awake.

All coarse parts, the vague and indistinct aspects, are what the five sense consciousnesses discriminate first. The subtle parts are what mental consciousness discriminates afterwards. The connection between the five sense consciousnesses and mental consciousness is extremely rapid. People without meditative concentration absolutely cannot discern it. Therefore, even if told this content, many people still cannot observe and realize it through practice; they can only memorize others' theories. Every time the six consciousnesses see a form dharma, they must reapply attention. The mental faculty (manas) must reapply attention first, constantly applying attention, to guide the six consciousnesses to apply attention and discriminate. Without meditative concentration, one absolutely cannot observe and realize these subtle dharmas through practice.

Hearing sound involves mental consciousness and ear consciousness together; ear consciousness alone cannot hear sound. When sitting in meditation and suddenly hearing a sound, ear consciousness arises first to discriminate it, and mental consciousness discriminates it afterwards. The ear faculty first feels the vibration, and then mental consciousness knows what the sound is. When ear consciousness hears sound, first the vibration sound is transmitted to the ear faculty, vibrating the eardrum—this is the coarse sound discriminated by ear consciousness. Afterwards, mental consciousness discriminates the sound's pitch, distance, volume, connotation, and other subtle aspects. This indicates that ear consciousness discriminates before mental consciousness and arises before mental consciousness.

6. The Discrimination Process of the Six Consciousnesses Regarding the Six Sense Objects

Dharma objects are of six kinds: dharma objects within form objects, dharma objects within sound objects, dharma objects within smell objects, dharma objects within taste objects, dharma objects within touch objects, and the image-only realm. The first five are discriminated by sense-accompanied mental consciousness (pañca-vijñāna-samprayukta-manas), and the last one is discriminated by solitary mental consciousness (kāma-manas).

When observing form objects with relatively good meditative concentration—whether reading a book, looking at flowers, looking at mountains, looking at anything—closing the eyes and then opening them, the very first thing seen upon opening the eyes is definitely a kind of color. This is the apparent color discriminated by eye consciousness. One ksana later, the color manifests a shape, showing length, shortness, squareness, roundness, thickness, thinness—this is the dharma object, discriminated by mental consciousness. Afterwards, the appearance of the form becomes clear, and its connotative characteristics are all revealed. These are the signifying colors and non-signifying colors of the form, which are dharma objects discriminated by mental consciousness. Finally, the nominal designation appears.

The entire discrimination process involves eye consciousness arising first; one ksana later, mental consciousness arises. Eye consciousness alone cannot discriminate dharma objects; mental consciousness alone cannot discriminate colors. Only when both harmoniously combine can they clearly discriminate both the coarse and subtle aspects of the present form object, and the complete appearance of the form object can manifest. However, within this, the color discriminated by eye consciousness appears first. Color is the coarsest aspect of form; dharma objects are the subtler aspects of form. The subtler the aspect, the later it manifests. The dharma objects discriminated by mental consciousness appear later. The time difference between them is extremely, extremely short. The two consciousnesses depend on each other; neither can be lacking. The relationship between the other four sense consciousnesses and mental consciousness is also like this.

    7. Why Damaged Eye Faculty Prevents Seeing Form Objects

The eyes and other six sense faculties are the display screen. The one watching the display screen is eye consciousness and the other six consciousnesses. The display screen is always on, but the watcher does not necessarily watch it constantly. Regardless of whether it is watched or not, the people and things on the display screen are constantly playing and manifesting. What the display screen manifests is determined by the Tathāgatagarbha. Whether the six consciousnesses watch or not is decided by the mental faculty. Whether to change the channel is also decided by the mental faculty. As for what to watch and what not to watch, the watcher (the six consciousnesses) may also make suggestions. After the mental faculty adopts them, the Tathāgatagarbha decides based on karmic seeds (bīja). Therefore, all dharmas on the display screen are manifested through the combined function of the three transforming consciousnesses (trisvabhāva). If the eyes are damaged, it is equivalent to the display screen's switch malfunctioning. If the switch is repaired, eye consciousness will still see the people and things on the display screen. However, a damaged eye faculty does not mean the seeing nature (dṛśya) of eye consciousness is absent; eye consciousness can still see darkness. A black screen is also a state of the display screen; the watcher can still see it. With damaged eyes, eye consciousness can see darkness.

8. Although closing the eyes prevents seeing forms and blocking the ears prevents hearing sounds, the six sense object realms are not manifested by the five consciousnesses, six consciousnesses, or seventh consciousness (manas). They are all illusorily manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha. The five consciousnesses, six consciousnesses, and seventh consciousness can only cause the appearances fabricated by the Tathāgatagarbha to manifest in the mind; they cannot fabricate appearances. Manifesting appearances requires certain conditions; if conditions are not complete, there are no appearances in the mind.

Eye consciousness cannot see a flower because closing the eyes means no light; without light, eye consciousness cannot see the light-appearance of the flower, but it can see the darkness without light. If cultivation breaks through the realm of the form aggregate (rūpa-skandha), this is not the case. Similarly, ear consciousness cannot hear sound because the sound object does not enter the ear; then ear consciousness cannot hear the sound transmitted from outside, but it can hear the buzzing sound within the eardrum.

For the Tathāgatagarbha to fabricate all appearances, it relies not only on karmic seeds but also on various conditions, including relying on the mental factors (caitta) of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, and the intentions and thoughts of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Then the seven consciousnesses cooperate with the Tathāgatagarbha to manifest the appearances, enabling the six consciousnesses to have knowing.

9. The knowing of eye consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses has no nominal designation; the knowing of mental consciousness has nominal designation. For example, eye consciousness knows sunlight and knows it is dazzling, but it has no nominal designation for "sunlight," no name for "sunlight," no nominal designation for "dazzling," no name for "dazzling." When mental consciousness jointly discriminates sunlight with eye consciousness, mental consciousness then knows it is sunlight and knows sunlight is dazzling. However, closing the eyes to avoid sunlight is a choice made by the mental faculty; eye consciousness and mental consciousness are merely unconsciously executing it very quickly.

Why can the mental faculty make choices so quickly? Because the discrimination of sunlight by eye consciousness and mental consciousness in each ksana is transmitted to the mental faculty. The mental faculty can know it instantaneously and correctly, enabling it to make correct and reasonable choices to seek benefit and avoid harm. If what eye consciousness and mental consciousness discriminate is a form object unfamiliar to the mental faculty, the mental faculty will not make choices so quickly, because it may not rationally understand the transmitted form object; it needs to ponder and examine until it understands before making a choice. There are also times when the mental faculty ponders but cannot understand; then it cannot accurately comprehend the transmitted form object. If forced to make a choice, it will make an erroneous choice. Therefore, the speed, correctness, and reasonableness of the mental faculty's choices also depend on its experience and wisdom.

10. When the six faculties contact the six sense objects, the eighth consciousness produces the six consciousnesses, which then discriminate the six sense objects. First there are the six faculties, then the six sense objects, and finally the six consciousnesses. This means that when the six faculties face the six sense objects, they do not immediately know the six sense objects; there is a time difference in between. For example, when the eyes face a form object, initially they do not know what it is; only after looking for a while do they know what it is.

In this process, eye consciousness seeds flow out one by one. The first eye consciousness seed arises and contacts the form, then ceases, unable to clearly see what it is. The second eye consciousness seed arises and contacts the form, then ceases, still unable to clearly see what it is. The third eye consciousness seed arises and contacts the form, then ceases, able to see a little clearly. The fourth eye consciousness seed arises and contacts the form, then ceases, clearly seeing what the form object is, and we then discriminate this form. If a person has vision problems, the time needed to see might be even longer.

When seeing a form with the eyes, it is not solely the eye faculty and eye consciousness functioning; simultaneously, the mental faculty and mental consciousness are also functioning. The eye faculty contacts the form object, and the mental faculty simultaneously contacts the dharma objects on the form object. The eighth consciousness separately produces eye consciousness and mental consciousness to jointly discriminate the form object. Eye consciousness discriminates the coarse aspects of the form object, which are the apparent colors, including the colors blue, yellow, red, white, brightness, darkness, and morning mist in the sky, etc. Mental consciousness discriminates the subtle aspects: signifying colors, non-signifying colors, form colors, etc. Eye consciousness alone cannot discriminate; it must discriminate simultaneously with mental consciousness to know what the form object is.

Therefore, when seeing a form, three consciousnesses participate: eye consciousness, mental consciousness, and the mental faculty. The eighth consciousness, the Tathāgatagarbha, necessarily participates. Each has its own function; they do not substitute for each other. Therefore, when we do one thing, eight consciousnesses function together; it is not one consciousness. One cannot say, "I only have one mind doing things." For example, when eating, eye consciousness watches the food and other things; ear consciousness hears the sound of eating and other sounds; nose consciousness smells the food fragrance and other fragrances; tongue consciousness tastes the flavor of the food; body consciousness feels fullness, hunger, thirst, cold, heat, etc.; mental consciousness simultaneously discriminates all this, participating in all five sense objects.

The mental faculty directs what to do next at every moment: whether to keep eating, what to eat, how much to eat, how to handle other matters, etc. If, while doing each thing, one can identify each of the consciousnesses, the mind becomes very refined. Knowing how each mind harmoniously operates, wisdom arises. Over time, one can find the eighth consciousness, know its operation—this is realizing the mind (mingxin).

11. Question: Seeing a line instantly as non-parallel—is this non-parallelism discriminated by eye consciousness or mental consciousness? Later feeling it is parallel—is this contradictory psychology mental consciousness's, or is it a contradiction between eye consciousness and mental consciousness?

Answer: The shape of the pattern belongs to form colors, which are dharma objects, the domain discriminated by mental consciousness. Eye consciousness only sees colors; everything else is content discriminated by mental consciousness. Judging whether it is parallel or not is determined by mental consciousness through thinking, analysis, comparison, and judgment. When mental consciousness cannot decisively discriminate, there is contradictory emotion, unable to finally decide whether it is parallel or not.