Does the Eighth Consciousness Continue to Exist and Function in Nirvana Without Residue?

If an Arhat can emerge from nirvana without remainder, it must be due to the maturation of certain karmic seeds. The eighth consciousness, relying on these karmic seeds, resumes functioning, giving rise to the mental faculty. Then, the mental faculty and the eighth consciousness together take rebirth, giving rise to the five aggregates and eighteen elements. When the karmic seeds mature, the eighth consciousness must be able to perceive it; when the karmic seeds are not mature, the eighth consciousness should also be able to perceive it. So, what is this knowing of the eighth consciousness?

When the eighth consciousness operates based on karmic seeds, it is the functioning of the mental factor of volition. Before the mental factor of volition operates, there is the operation of the mental factor of conception, which is the discernment and grasping of characteristics – discerning the karmic seeds and grasping the characteristic of whether they are mature or not. Preceding the mental factor of conception is the mental factor of feeling, which receives and experiences the karmic seeds. Preceding the mental factor of feeling is the mental factor of contact with the karmic seeds, and contact must be preceded by attention directed toward the karmic seeds. Within nirvana without remainder, the eighth consciousness has no other matters; this is the only thing it can do.

For the eighth consciousness to carry out this one task, it must itself exist and operate continuously to ensure the functioning of this matter. The very existence and continuous operation of the eighth consciousness rely on the constant outflow of its own consciousness-seeds, forming an uninterrupted stream of the eighth consciousness. The five universal mental factors accompany the ceaseless operation of the eighth consciousness. This is the meaning of the eighth consciousness being continuous, uninterrupted, unarisen, and unceasing.