What Causes the Arising of the Five Aggregates?

The physical structure of every sentient being is so intricate, the nervous system so delicate, and its functions even more subtle. The Tathagatagarbha is truly a master craftsman! What kind of blueprint did it use? Who designed it? How was the physical body constructed according to that blueprint? It is truly wondrous beyond compare!

Why are the five aggregates born? What was the initial cause for the emergence of the world and the five aggregates? The Shurangama Sutra points to a crucial factor: it was when the mental faculty (manas) sought to perceive or understand something, leading it to probe outward, that the chaotic world came into being. Prior to this, only the Tathagatagarbha and the mental faculty existed, profoundly deep and obscure. The birth of the five aggregates can only be traced back to the Tathagatagarbha, leading to the conclusion: name-and-form (the five aggregates) arises dependent on consciousness (the eighth consciousness), and consciousness (the eighth consciousness) arises dependent on name-and-form.