Can Enlightenment Be Attained in the Absence of Consciousness After Death?

Situations where only the seventh consciousness and the eighth consciousness exist without the six consciousnesses include the following: when unconscious, during dreamless sleep, upon entering the state of no-thought concentration (asaṃjñī-samāpatti), upon entering the state of cessation concentration (nirodha-samāpatti), and after death before the intermediate state (antarābhava) manifests. In this last situation, not only are the six consciousnesses absent, but the five aggregates are also absent; only the seventh and eighth consciousnesses remain. These two consciousnesses are formless and without characteristics. At this time, the seventh consciousness of ordinary beings is in a dazed state, urgently seeking a new body composed of the five aggregates for support. Whether a Buddha can perceive these two consciousnesses under such circumstances is unknown. The seventh consciousness cannot exist independently without the eighth consciousness, and the eighth consciousness cannot function or operate any dharma without the seventh consciousness, remaining in a state of nirvana; nor can even a Buddha perceive the eighth consciousness. Only when these two consciousnesses function together and operate in conjunction can they be perceived by others, though ordinary beings are incapable of perceiving them.

So, in the state without the five aggregates and six consciousnesses, where only the seventh and eighth consciousnesses exist, can enlightenment occur? This requires understanding who achieves enlightenment and what is realized. Enlightenment, of course, refers to the deluded mind achieving enlightenment, realizing the eighth consciousness. Without the six consciousnesses and the five aggregates, the deluded mind at this stage consists solely of the seventh consciousness. Can the seventh consciousness achieve enlightenment alone? It is likely that only a Buddha possesses this capability; eighth-ground bodhisattvas might also be able to realize it, but others would find it extremely difficult, and ordinary beings absolutely cannot. This is because the discerning power of the mental faculty (manas) is extremely limited; without the assistance of the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna), the mental faculty itself cannot clearly discern the six dusts (objects of sense), let alone perceive the most subtle eighth consciousness.

In the situation where only the seventh and eighth consciousnesses exist without the six consciousnesses or five aggregates, the eighth consciousness merely sustains the existence of the seventh consciousness and cannot function or operate any dharma. Realizing the eighth consciousness must occur through perceiving its functioning; if the eighth consciousness is not functioning, it cannot be realized. Even the eighth consciousness in nirvana cannot be realized by a Buddha. Furthermore, in the situation with the five aggregates present but without the six consciousnesses, where only the seventh and eighth consciousnesses exist, can the eighth consciousness be realized? It is absolutely impossible.