Camera Metaphor

Question: Is the camera operator the eighth consciousness, with the five sense faculties as the lens, which then transforms into the shadows of the internal six dusts? Is this how the internal six dusts are transformed?

Answer: The camera operator is the eighth consciousness. The six consciousnesses are the viewer, who only sees the photos and images. What is seen and what is not seen are directed by the mental faculty (manas). What scenery the camera lens points to and captures is determined by the mental faculty. The eighth consciousness captures the external six dusts through the five sense faculties or six sense bases. After forming images, it is the six consciousnesses that differentiate these images; the six consciousnesses are the ones who view the images. The seventh consciousness directs the viewer of the images and also directs the camera operator. Wherever the seventh consciousness points, the eighth consciousness must capture the six dusts from that realm, and the six consciousnesses must differentiate the images of the six dusts from that location.

What scenery the camera lens points to and captures is sometimes determined by the mental faculty. After the mental faculty selects the scenery, the eighth consciousness will capture it. However, when the eighth consciousness manifests certain realms, sometimes even the mental faculty cannot control it. The eighth consciousness brings forth adverse conditions and karmic creditors; this is not the choice of the mental faculty, as the mental faculty would not instruct the eighth consciousness to capture this scenery. Then, the sixth consciousness will add its own thoughts and concepts onto the scenery, akin to post-production processing, retouching, and smoothing. This post-processed scenery is then stored as a seed.

Therefore, behind the activities of the five aggregates of sentient beings, there is a controller. Even a robot is artificially controlled from behind; even a computer is operated by humans, who design the programs and then supply electrical energy. Electrical energy is crucial; the five sense faculties also require electricity to function. If one can locate the electrical energy and the switch, find where the main circuit breaker and the main valve truly are, then one realizes the true reality of the Dharma realm. Once the valve is opened, all phenomena will manifest.