"Why Can Consciousness Condition the Skandhas, Āyatanas, and Dhātus?"

The reason consciousness is able to apprehend the aggregates, sense bases, and elements is that the mental faculty (manas) apprehends them first, thereby determining the specific objects of discernment, after which consciousness can apprehend the aggregates, sense bases, and elements. If the mental faculty cannot apprehend the various characteristics of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements, then consciousness cannot apprehend them. How does consciousness arise? When the mental faculty interacts with mental objects (dharmas) and intends to engage in action, the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) gives rise to consciousness to perform the action. If, after contacting mental objects, the mental faculty does not intend to engage in action, the eighth consciousness will not give rise to consciousness to perform the action. Therefore, when consciousness apprehends the characteristics of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements, it must be because the mental faculty apprehended them first. There is no principle whereby the mental faculty does not apprehend the characteristics of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements!

At all times, the mental faculty, moment by moment, must rely on the eighth consciousness to apprehend the characteristics of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements. It cannot be separated from the aggregates, sense bases, and elements for even an instant—whether during dreamless sleep, during unconsciousness, within the state of non-perception (asaṃjñā-samāpatti), at the moment of death before leaving the physical body, or within the intermediate state (bardo). The mental faculty constantly remains with and apprehends the aggregates, sense bases, and elements, except when there are no aggregates, sense bases, and elements—that is, when there is no fivefold aggregate (skandhas).

If the mental faculty does not apprehend a certain dharma, on what basis could consciousness possibly apprehend it? In the realm of which dharma, if there is no mental faculty, could consciousness even exist, let alone apprehend it? Consciousness arises from the condition of mental faculty and mental objects (mano-dharma-pratyaya). This is the sacred teaching of the World-Honored One, his holy utterance spoken directly. How could there be any contradiction with this? That the mental faculty silently accommodates all dharmas is directly spoken by the World-Honored One in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra. How could there be any contradiction with this?