Several Situations Where Discriminative Consciousness Does Not Arise in Sentient Beings

When the manas (mind faculty) encounters various objects, it exhibits selectivity, which is its deliberative and selective nature. What does it base its choices on? Naturally, it selects whatever it perceives as beneficial to itself. It possesses discernment, capable of recognizing the importance or unimportance of dharmas (phenomena). The manas clings to different dharmas with varying degrees of intensity. Why does it differ? Because it knows which dharmas are beneficial to itself and which are important.

Seeds (bija) cannot compel the manas to cling. For instance, after an Arhat severs clinging, they lose interest in worldly dharmas. Even if the seeds continue to flow forth, they still do not look, listen, or think about them; there is no thought or yearning. Why does the manas allow the consciousness (vijnana) to clearly perceive certain dharmas? It is still because the manas has intention and interest in them, prompting the alaya-vijnana (storehouse consciousness) to cooperate by producing consciousness, enabling focused and detailed perception of those dharmas.

Sentient beings exist in the following states with only a physical shell and no discernment:

1. During dreamless sleep: The manas knows the physical body needs rest and has nothing to grasp onto, so the six consciousnesses do not arise.

2. In the fetal stage: There are also no fully developed five coarse sense faculties and subtle sense faculties (indriyas), preventing the formation of the six sense bases (sadayatana). The eighth consciousness (alaya-vijnana) does not manifest the internal perception aspect (pratyatmavijnapti). Since the manas does not contact form objects (rupa), it cannot receive and perceive them. Therefore, the first six consciousnesses cannot arise.

3. During unconsciousness: The subtle sense faculty of the brain is impaired, preventing the six sense objects from entering the subtle sense faculties. The causes and conditions for the arising of the six consciousnesses are incomplete.

4. In the state of non-perception (asamjni-samapatti): Although the subtle sense faculties are intact, the manas does not wish to perceive form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas deeply or meticulously, so the six consciousnesses do not arise.

5. In the state of cessation (nirodha-samapatti): Both the feeling (vedana) and perception (samjna) mental factors of the manas cease. The manas does not grasp onto the six sense objects (sad visayah), so there are no six consciousnesses to receive the six sense objects.

As long as the manas exists, there is attention (manaskara). It directs attention towards the objects of the six senses, even in states of unconsciousness and non-perception. Moreover, it relies on the eighth consciousness to also direct attention towards the body faculty. It is because of this that one can awaken from unconsciousness or emerge from meditative absorption (samadhi). Otherwise, one could not wake up or emerge from the states of non-perception or cessation.

When one is asleep in the middle of the night and an earthquake suddenly occurs, the manas also wants to run. Why then can't one run? Because the six consciousnesses cannot arise quickly enough, leaving the manas helplessly anxious. When an oppressive spirit (mara) presses down on the body, the manas tries to break free, so why can't the body move? When oppressed by the spirit, one also tries to wake up but cannot, while still being aware of a heavy feeling in the chest yet unable to move. This is because the six consciousnesses are very weak, lacking sufficient strength to overcome the oppressive spirit.