Which Arises First: Mind or Dharma, Which Ceases First: Mind or Dharma (Part 1)

From the mind arise all dharmas; with the cessation of mind, all dharmas cease. Dharmas encompass dharmas of form and dharmas of mind. Dharmas of form are constituted by the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—including the physical bodies, sense faculties of sentient beings, and the material universe. Dharmas of form possess the phenomenal characteristics of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas (objects of mind), which are the perceived divisions (nimitta) that can be discerned by the discerning mind. Dharmas of mind refer to the discerning function of the seven consciousnesses, which are the perceiving divisions (dṛṣṭi), generated by the continuous outflow of seeds of consciousness.

First, we observe how the physical body comes into being and the conditions for its birth. In the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, the Buddha taught: Ignorance conditions volitional formations; with the presence of ignorance, the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of sentient beings continuously arise. Volitional formations condition consciousness; as bodily, verbal, and mental actions continuously arise, the six consciousnesses persist. Consciousness conditions name-and-form; as the six consciousnesses persist without ceasing, the manas (seventh consciousness) enters the womb, resulting in a fertilized ovum. The fertilized ovum is form (rūpa), and the manas is name (nāma). Thus, name and form combine to form the initial life entity. Name-and-form condition the six sense bases; after the fertilized ovum develops, the five physical sense faculties are produced, resulting in the complete six sense faculties, known as the six entrances. The six sense bases condition contact; the six sense faculties come into contact with the six sense objects. Contact conditions feeling; after contact, the six consciousnesses arise, generating the feelings experienced by the six consciousnesses.

Feeling conditions craving; with the arising of feelings, the consciousnesses generate craving for the objects of the six senses. Craving conditions clinging; due to craving, the manas and the six consciousnesses seek to grasp and cling to the objects of the six senses. Clinging conditions becoming; because the consciousnesses cling to the objects of the six senses, they cause the conditions for future existence to become complete, giving rise to existence within the three realms. Becoming conditions birth; because the dharmas of the three realms are complete, the life entity is born within the three realms, and thus name-and-form comes into being. Here, "name" includes the seven consciousnesses and the aggregates of feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness; "form" is the aggregate of form. Thus, the five aggregates come into being. This demonstrates that as long as the manas clings without cease, the discrimination of the six consciousnesses continues, and life entities are ceaselessly born. From this perspective, as long as the deluded mind continues to arise, dharmas of form will ceaselessly arise.

Another question arises: Can dharmas of form arise solely due to the deluded mind? They cannot, because the seven consciousnesses are subject to arising, ceasing, and discontinuity, lacking inherent nature. They cannot store karmic seeds; therefore, they cannot give rise to the dharmas of form, the five aggregates. The Pratyekabuddha Dharma also includes a Tenfold Dependent Origination, explaining the ultimate source of dharmas of form. When contemplating the Twelve Links in reverse, Pratyekabuddhas reflect: Conditioned by what does birth arise? Thus, they deduce that conditioned by existence (within the three realms), birth arises. Then they reflect: Conditioned by what does existence arise? Thus, they deduce that conditioned by clinging, existence within the three realms arises. Clinging encompasses: craving for sense pleasures (kāmupādāna), clinging to views (especially the view of a self within the five aggregates) (dṛṣṭupādāna), clinging to self-doctrine (affirmation of self and self-conceit) (ātmavādopādāna), and clinging to superstitious precepts and vows (ineffective or irrational practices) (śīlavrataparāmarśa).