How Do the Various Consciousnesses Operate in Harmonious Conjunction?

When the six faculties contact the six sense objects, the eighth consciousness produces the six consciousnesses, and then the six consciousnesses discern the six sense objects. First there are the six faculties, then the six sense objects, and finally the six consciousnesses. That is to say, when the six faculties face the six sense objects, one does not immediately know the sense objects—there is a time gap in between. For example, when the eyes face a material sense object, at first one does not know what it is; only after looking for a while does one come to know what it is.

In this process, the seeds of eye consciousness stream forth one by one. The first seed of eye consciousness engages with the form, ceases, and returns to the eighth consciousness—one cannot yet see clearly what it is. The second seed of eye consciousness engages with the form, ceases, and returns to the eighth consciousness—still one cannot see clearly what it is. The third seed of eye consciousness engages with the form, ceases, and returns to the eighth consciousness—one begins to see a little. The fourth seed of eye consciousness engages with the form, ceases, and returns to the tathāgatagarbha, and one sees clearly what the material sense object is; thus we discriminate this form. For someone with impaired vision, it may take even longer.

When the eye sees form, it is not that the eye faculty and eye consciousness alone are functioning; at the same time, the manas and mind consciousness are also functioning. When the eye faculty contacts the material sense object, the manas simultaneously contacts the mental sense object upon that material sense object. The eighth consciousness discriminates and produces the eye consciousness and the mind consciousness, which together discriminate the material sense object. The eye consciousness discriminates the coarse form of the material sense object, namely the manifest forms (sansthāna), including colors such as blue, yellow, red, and white, brightness and darkness, and the morning mist in space, and so forth. The mind consciousness discriminates the subtle forms—expressive form, non-expressive form, configurational form, and so forth. The eye consciousness alone cannot discriminate; it must discriminate simultaneously with the mind consciousness in order to know what the material sense object is.

Thus, when the eye sees form, three consciousnesses participate: the eye consciousness, the mind consciousness, and the manas; the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, must also participate. Each has its own function, and none can substitute for another. Therefore, when we do something, all eight consciousnesses function together—it is not a single consciousness. One cannot say that only one mind is doing the work. For example, when eating, the eye consciousness looks at the food and other things; the ear consciousness hears the sounds of eating and other sounds; the nose consciousness smells the fragrance of the food and other scents; the tongue consciousness tastes the flavor of the food; the body consciousness feels hunger, satiety, thirst, cold, heat, and so forth; and the mind consciousness simultaneously discriminates all of these, participating in all five sense objects.

The manas directs at every moment what to do next—whether to keep eating, what to eat, how much to eat, how to deal with other matters, and so on. As for the last one, the eighth consciousness, we will not speak of it here. If, when doing each thing, you can identify each individual consciousness, your mind becomes very subtle and meticulous; you come to know how the various minds operate in harmonious conjunction, and wisdom arises. After a long time, you will be able to find the eighth consciousness and know how He operates—that is seeing one's true mind, awakening to the true mind.