How Does the Tathāgatagarbha Know the Contact Between the Sense Faculties and Sense Objects?

Question: How does the tathāgatagarbha know when the faculties and sense objects come into contact?

Answer: The faculties—whether the outer five faculties, the inner five faculties, or the manas—are all personally manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, and the tathāgatagarbha must constantly be attached to and uphold them at every moment. Therefore, the tathāgatagarbha knows the general information of the five faculties, and it also knows the operational state of the manas.

As for the sense objects—whether the outer six sense objects or the inner six sense objects—they are all manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. The outer six sense objects belong to substantial material form, and the tathāgatagarbha is attached to them in every instant; the tathāgatagarbha knows all of their changes. The inner six sense objects are personally transmitted by the tathāgatagarbha into the supreme faculties, and cannot be separated from the inner six sense objects even for a moment. Therefore, the tathāgatagarbha certainly knows where the inner six sense objects are transmitted to, and they will not be transmitted to places other than the supreme faculties.

In this way, for the inner six faculties, the tathāgatagarbha is attached to them, contacts them, and knows them; for the inner six sense objects, the tathāgatagarbha is attached to them, contacts them, and knows them; and at the place where the faculties and sense objects come into contact, the tathāgatagarbha is of course also attached to them, contacts them, and knows them. This is not a difficult matter. Then, in accordance with the attention and decision of the manas, the tathāgatagarbha will give rise to the six consciousnesses. The six consciousnesses contact the inner six sense objects within the supreme faculties, and can thereby discern the dharmas of the six sense objects.