The Information Discerned by the Five Consciousnesses Directly Transmits to Manas

The information discerned by the five consciousnesses is directly conveyed to the mental faculty (manas), not to the mental consciousness. This is because the mental faculty is the predominant consciousness governing the five aggregates and six consciousnesses, directly managing the arising, ceasing, and alterations of the six consciousnesses. The mental consciousness is not the predominant consciousness; it cannot determine the arising, ceasing, and alterations of the five aggregates and five consciousnesses. Furthermore, the mental consciousness and the five consciousnesses are parallel and co-existing consciousnesses. The discerned objects of the five senses (five dusts) and the objects of mental consciousness (dharma dust) are parallel and co-existing dharmas, together constituting the realm of the six dusts. If either the five dusts or the dharma dust is absent, the six dusts cannot be formed. Therefore, the five dusts discerned by the five consciousnesses are directly conveyed to the mental faculty. Simultaneously, the dharma dust discerned by the mental consciousness is also conveyed to the mental faculty along with the five consciousnesses. Only then can the mental faculty know the state of form, know the state of sound, know the state of taste, and so on; otherwise, it cannot know any single type of sense-object.

Upon receiving the information conveyed by the five consciousnesses and the mental consciousness, the mental faculty engages in its own contemplation, consideration, weighing, and decision-making. It then determines how to proceed next. Consequently, the six consciousnesses will re-arise upon the sense-objects the mental faculty intends to engage with. There is also a distinction of primary and secondary focus, and the discernment involves varying degrees of intensity and significance.