How Does the Perceptual Consciousness of Sentient Beings Arise?

The eighth consciousness inherently contains the seeds of the seven great elements, which perpetually reside within it. Among these, one is the seed of the consciousness element. When the eighth consciousness emits the seeds of consciousness, the first seven consciousnesses are produced. After the Tathāgatagarbha (storehouse consciousness) emits the seeds of consciousness for the first seven consciousnesses, they begin to function. The operation of the seventh consciousness occurs in the form of mental factors. Within the mental factors of the seventh consciousness are the five universal mental factors and the five particular mental factors. In the mental factors of the seventh consciousness of ordinary beings, there are also afflictive mental factors such as greed, hatred, delusion, and other defilements.

When the seventh consciousness manifests, it operates in the form of mental factors. The prerequisite for its manifestation is that the eighth consciousness must emit seeds of consciousness for it. The eighth consciousness emits seeds of consciousness for the seventh consciousness moment by moment. In the snap of a finger, it emits eighty-one thousand arising and ceasing seeds (the number is merely metaphorical, indicating an extremely large quantity of seeds emitted in a single instant). One seed arises and then ceases; another seed arises in its place and then ceases again. Arising and ceasing, ceasing and arising—this forms the continuous, unbroken operation of the seventh consciousness since beginningless kalpas. The operation of the seventh consciousness occurs in the form of mental factors, and the five universal mental factors continuously accompany its ceaseless functioning.

If the seventh consciousness seeks to perceive the six dusts (objects of sense), it gives rise to the mental factor of volition (cetanā), and the eighth consciousness cooperates by producing the six consciousnesses for it. The eye faculty engages with form-dust, the ear faculty with sound-dust, the nose faculty with smell-dust, the tongue faculty with taste-dust, the body faculty with touch-dust, and the mental faculty (manas) engages with dharma-dust. As soon as the six faculties and the six dusts make contact and correspond with each other, the eighth consciousness immediately emits the seeds of consciousness for the six consciousnesses. The eye consciousness then begins to move. The seeds of eye consciousness arise one after another, extremely rapidly, moment by moment. They arise and cease, arise and cease again, thus forming the perceiving nature of the eye consciousness over a period of time. The perceiving nature of the eye consciousness also operates in the form of mental factors, primarily through the five universal mental factors. Of course, the eye consciousness also has some wholesome mental factors, some afflictive mental factors, and sometimes the five particular mental factors also manifest. The other consciousnesses function similarly.

When the eighth consciousness emits seeds of consciousness for the sixth consciousness, the sixth consciousness is produced. The seeds of consciousness are emitted moment by moment, forming a continuous operation of the conscious mind, just like successive drops of water flowing out to form a stream of water. The conscious mind, like a stream of water, gains momentum and can perform functions such as recognition, perception, thought, and judgment. If the sixth consciousness seeks to perceive many dharmas (phenomena), its discriminative power will inevitably weaken. When perceiving dharma-dust, it cannot perceive clearly, and the power of wisdom cannot arise. This is the result of the mental faculty (manas) grasping everywhere. However, if the mental faculty reduces its grasping and lessens its attention (manasikāra), allowing the mental consciousness to perceive only one type of dharma-dust, then the sixth consciousness can engage in detailed discrimination on that single dharma. The eighth consciousness only emits seeds of consciousness for the mental consciousness towards this single dharma-dust. Thus, the discriminative power of the mental consciousness becomes strong, perception becomes clear, the power of wisdom becomes strong, and wisdom can be born.

Subsequently, these seeds of consciousness return one by one to the eighth consciousness, are emitted again from it, and return once more, circulating continuously like a water pump in a cycle. Thus, the sixth consciousness continuously discriminates. The operation of the sixth consciousness also occurs in the form of mental factors. Among them, the five universal mental factors certainly accompany the operation of the mental consciousness, along with the other five particular mental factors, wholesome and afflictive mental factors, and mental factors that are neither wholesome nor unwholesome. These mental factors all sometimes accompany the sixth consciousness in its functioning. Through the continuous operation of mental factors, the seven consciousnesses can perceive all realms of the world. Thus, we possess the nature of seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing, enabling us to perceive all dharmas in this world.