The Essence-Bearing Object Perceived by the Seventh Consciousness

The seventh consciousness takes as its object the perceiving-aspect of the eighth consciousness. After the eighth consciousness perceives the essential object (the direct material object), it gathers the subtle particles of the four great elements and forms the initial image, carrying the substance of the four great element seeds of the essential object. When the seventh consciousness sees this, it takes it to be its own seeing, takes all of these to be "me," and gives rise to a mind of grasping and attachment. Relying on the eighth consciousness, it transmits the dharmas carrying the substance of the four great elements to the supreme faculty (the ultimate sense faculty), and relies on the six consciousnesses to discern and grasp them. Yet the dharmas transmitted to the supreme faculty are no longer the dharmas originally seen by the seventh consciousness at the very beginning—they are merely similar. The six consciousnesses do not understand this principle and all take them to be real. The object-aspect between the seventh consciousness and the eighth consciousness arises, first, in the mind of the seventh consciousness, and second, in the minds of the six consciousnesses. However, there is a certain difference between the object-aspects taken as objects by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses; the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are unaware of this and simply overlook it. This too is ignorance (avidyā).

What is transmitted into the black box of the supreme faculty is the object-aspect taken as object by the six consciousnesses. Once it is taken as object, it manifests in the minds of the six consciousnesses. The object-aspect in the minds of the six consciousnesses is like an image in a mirror: a qualitative change has occurred, and it no longer carries the substantial four great element seeds of the essential object. This is called "similarly attached object" (似带质), also called "false attached object" (假带质). It is similar to the outer object-aspect, similar to the essential object, similar to the true attached object.

Suppose there is a person with supernatural powers who has trained the six consciousnesses well, remaining immovable (suchness is immovable) in the face of all the six sense objects, knowing them to be illusory transformations with no practical function. Then the object-aspects of the six sense objects within the black box of the supreme faculty would have no effect whatsoever on the bodies of the six consciousnesses. High mountains and great seas could not obstruct the bodies of the six consciousnesses, because mountains and waters are all false objects, false object-aspects—images in a mirror, without any substantial effect. If a great fire burned the bodies of the six consciousnesses, the six consciousnesses would not be moved; fire burning and blades cutting the body would pose no obstruction, because fire and blades are both false realms and false dharmas, like object-aspects in a mirror—what substantial force could they have?

Sentient beings do not understand this principle, and they lack meditative concentration (samādhi). So when sense objects arrive, the mind is stirred and they enter the mind, and body and mind suffer harm—harmed by false sense objects. Is this not an injustice? Is this not dispiriting? Is this not a grievance?