Why Can the Manas Perceive the Six External Sense Objects Beyond the Indriyas?

The fundamental objective realm is the common aspect shared by all Tathāgatagarbhas; it is produced by the transformation of the fundamental four great elements and represents the most authentic aspect within material phenomena. Subsequently, each individual Tathāgatagarbha manifests appearances like a mirror reflecting images. Then, through the perceiving aspect, the fundamental objective realm is manifested as the external objective aspect, which the manas can then perceive. This manifested image differs significantly from the fundamental objective realm. The external objective aspect of the six dusts (sense objects) is the manifested objective realm, while the shadow manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha based on the fundamental objective realm is a mirror image. The seven consciousnesses can only ever perceive the results of seeds coming into actualization, never the seeds themselves.

Manas can perceive the six dust realms; it is not limited to perceiving only the mental dust upon the five dusts. Firstly, because manas is the sovereign consciousness, it must first make sovereign decisions regarding the arising of all dharmas before those dharmas can manifest. If manas could not perceive the five dusts, how could the five consciousnesses arise to cognize the five dusts? Who is it that sovereignly causes the five consciousnesses to arise and to cognize specific five dusts? If manas does not determine the cognition of the five dust appearances, the Tathāgatagarbha cannot give rise to the eye consciousness seeing forms, the ear consciousness hearing sounds, etc., nor can the eye faculty, ear faculty, etc., engage with their objects. This means the five consciousnesses are inherently not autonomous; they cannot decide their own arising and existence. There must be a decision by the sovereign consciousness for the five consciousnesses to arise and perceive the specific five dust realms intended by manas. Therefore, manas must perceive the five dusts to know their appearances.

Manas exerts a dominant and propelling influence upon the six consciousnesses. If manas does not wish to cognize the six dusts, the six consciousnesses cannot arise. During sleep, the internal six dusts continuously appear within the supreme sense faculties, but if manas does not wish to cognize them, sentient beings cannot awaken. As long as the five sense faculties exist, the Tathāgatagarbha necessarily relies on them to transmit the external six dusts, manifesting the internal six dusts within the supreme sense faculties. This occurs during unconsciousness and also during meditative absorption; otherwise, one could not emerge from absorption or awaken. First, there are the faculties and the dusts; afterward, consciousness arises. Where there is consciousness, there must be dusts; but where there are dusts, there is not necessarily consciousness.

Since manas can perceive the skeletal remains from past lives, can perceive that lotus flower in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and can perceive people, events, and things from past lives, it should be stated that manas can perceive the external six dust realms beyond the supreme sense faculties. If the external six dusts could only be perceived by manas when transformed into the internal six dusts within the supreme sense faculties, then the vast number of dharmas existing beyond the supreme sense faculties would be imperceptible to manas. This would mean manas is not the consciousness that silently encompasses all dharmas, contradicting the Buddha's sacred teachings and failing to accord with reality.

When the Tathāgatagarbha perceives the fundamental objective realm, its perceiving aspect can see the fundamental objective realm. Subsequently, it must manifest an identical mirror image for manas to perceive. Manas, relying on the Tathāgatagarbha's perceiving, possesses its own perceiving nature and can also perceive the appearances of the external six dusts. However, this external six dust appearance is a phantom mirror image conjured by the Tathāgatagarbha after perceiving the fundamental objective realm, resulting in differences between what the two perceive. If manas wishes to cognize the mirror image, it will prompt the Tathāgatagarbha to give rise to the six consciousnesses to cognize that mirror image. However, what the six consciousnesses cognize is yet another mirror image manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha within the supreme sense faculties, which differs from the mirror image of the external six dusts.