What Are the Objects of the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Consciousnesses?

Question: Since consciousness cannot arise apart from sense-objects, the operation of the fifty-one mental factors associated with the first seven consciousnesses must necessarily rely on certain sense-objects. The first five consciousnesses can only apprehend the five sense-object aspects (form, sound, smell, taste, touch), which belong to material dharmas as objects. Do the sixth and seventh consciousnesses apprehend material dharmas as objects, and also mental dharmas as objects?

Answer: One of the conditions for the arising of the six consciousnesses is the contact between sense-faculty and sense-object; the six sense-objects are a necessary condition for the arising of the six consciousnesses. However, the condition for the arising and non-cessation of the active state of the manas (seventh consciousness) is the presence of seeds from the three realms, involving greed and desire. Although the manas has existed since beginningless time, it has also been accompanied by the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, as well as ignorance, since beginningless time.

The condition for the operation of mental factors is that whenever consciousness exists, mental factors necessarily accompany the functioning of the conscious mind; consciousness operates precisely in the form of mental factors.

The objects of the first five consciousnesses are the five sense-objects: form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; these do not belong to dharmas as objects (mental objects). The objects apprehended by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses include material dharmas as objects, which are the mental objects (dharmas) arising from the five sense-objects; they also include exclusive mental images (manoratha), as well as mental dharmas as objects, such as the eight consciousnesses and their mental factors; additionally, they include non-material non-mental dharmas as objects, such as the dharmas dissociated from mind (citta-viprayukta-saṃskāra).