The Unique Discriminative Nature of the Eighth Consciousness

The discriminating nature of the eighth consciousness is extremely subtle and difficult to know. The eighth consciousness can discern karmic seeds, the sense faculties and material world (the physical body and the external environment), and the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses. It is because of His discerning nature that He can coordinate with the sense faculties and material world, and with the seven consciousnesses, to bring karmic seeds to fruition. The discerning nature of the eighth consciousness operates in the form of the five universally present mental factors, which accompany the functioning of the eighth consciousness moment after moment. First, the eighth consciousness directs its attention (manaskāra) toward the karmic seeds and the sense faculties and material world, makes contact (sparśa) with them, receives (vedanā) them, discerns and discriminates the karmic seeds and the material world, and takes the marks of the karmic seeds, sense faculties, and material world—this is the function of the perception mental factor (saṃjñā). Then the volition mental factor (cetanā) comes into play, making choices and decisions, and finally begins to act, outputting the seven great seeds and the karmic seeds, and thus all dharmas are set in motion.

Only after discriminating can the eighth consciousness output seeds; toward different karmic seeds and different sense faculties and material worlds, it transmits different seeds, transforming and creating different material forms (rūpa-dharma) and mental dharmas—this is the result of His discrimination. For example, when the eighth consciousness transforms and creates the body of a fetus, He knows where to create which tissues, which organs, what shape, what color, and so on—this is the result of His discrimination. Another example: when the eighth consciousness holds onto and alters the physical body of sentient beings, He can exercise discrimination toward the physical body, and at the same time can also discriminate karmic seeds; then, in accordance with the karmic seeds and karmic conditions, He changes the physical body anytime and anywhere. The physical body must therefore undergo constant change—becoming better or worse, or dying—none of which is certain; all are changes produced by the eighth consciousness in accordance with the karmic seeds.

The difference between the discrimination of the eighth consciousness and that of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses is that the eighth consciousness takes the marks of all things without attachment, without emotion, without any affective coloring, without mental activities of liking or disliking; it operates entirely in a mode of equanimity, mechanically, running according to its own unique program, functioning naturally so, intrinsically so (dharmatā).

Because the eighth consciousness, in its discernment, has no emotional coloring, when sense objects are reflected into the mind, it is just like a mirror displaying images. However, the five sense consciousnesses differ from the eighth consciousness. The eighth consciousness is completely like a mirror displaying images: no liking or disliking, no greed or aversion, no mental activity, no afflictions or habitual tendencies of affliction. When the five sense consciousnesses discern, sense objects appear in the mind, but not entirely like a mirror displaying images. Because the five consciousnesses, such as the eye consciousness, possess the greed mental factor, have coarse feelings of pain and pleasure, and have liking and disliking, the eye consciousness will continually direct attention toward and make contact with pleasing, delightful colors, continually discerning them—this is greed. Toward objects that can be perceived as bringing painful feelings, it will automatically choose to avoid them—this is aversion; such are the mental activities of the five sense consciousnesses, such as the eye consciousness. The eighth consciousness, however, toward whatever sense object, neither craves nor is averse, neither grasps nor avoids; it continues to operate according to the program and laws under which it should run, until the karmic seeds have been completely brought to fruition.