The Manifestation of the Supreme Faculty and the Internal Object-Aspect

The five faculties are the gross sense faculties (the faculty bases composed of the four great elements) and the supreme faculties, which are material form. Among them, the five external faculties are coarse material form, while the five supreme faculties are subtle material form. Therefore, when our physical body is healthy and well-nourished, the four great elements within the supreme faculties are in harmony, and the tathāgatagarbha can assimilate these harmonized four great elements to truthfully manifest the inner object-aspect, so that what the six consciousnesses discern is truthful. Otherwise, when the supreme faculties are undernourished and the four great elements are out of harmony, what the tathāgatagarbha assimilates are discordant four great elements, and it cannot truthfully manifest the inner object-aspect. Distortion and alteration then occur in the inner object-aspect, and what the six consciousnesses discern becomes inaccurate and untruthful. Sentient beings will then display poor intelligence, lack of memory, frequently being unable to recall things, which is called forgetfulness. That is why students nourish the brain and supplement nutrition before exams — precisely so that the mind consciousness can function well, clearly and truthfully discerning all the material previously learned and being able to recall it.