How the Five Aggregates (pañca-skandha) Operate

Take drinking tea as an example. Drinking tea is a process of the integrated, harmonious functioning of the five aggregates; the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, along with the eighteen elements of the six faculties, six sense-objects, and six consciousnesses, all participate in it, with faculty, object, and consciousness coming into contact and operating together in harmony. The one who directs it is the manas, which is responsible for coordinating and regulating the activities of contact, feeling, perception, and volition of the six consciousnesses and the five faculties with the six sense-objects. The most nimble and swift is the manas; very often the mind consciousness cannot even notice anything before the matter is already accomplished. The five consciousnesses cooperate as if without thought, completely faithful to the manas's intent, and at times the mind consciousness simply cannot fathom it.

The entire process of drinking tea is like this: if the tea is too hot and spills on the hand, one will give a start and fling it away, with no time for the mind consciousness to discern or analyze it. When the manas wants to hold the teacup and wants to drink the tea, faculty and object come into contact, generating the six consciousnesses to cooperate in the operation and carry out the manas's instruction, and only then can the tea be drunk. As for the specific functioning of the six faculties and the functioning of the six consciousnesses, you must observe and match them up yourself; especially the details require you to settle your mind and observe them yourself. You need to make the concepts of the five aggregates clear, and make clear the functions and roles of the eighteen elements.