The Essentials and Significance of Contemplative Practice (Vipaśyanā-caryā) on the Aggregate of Consciousness

In contemplating the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna) among the feeling, perception, and consciousness aggregates of the five aggregates, one must contemplate how the seeds of consciousness generate the functions and roles of the seven consciousnesses, with the functions and roles of the six consciousnesses as the primary focus. After the seeds of consciousness of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are output, the six consciousnesses are formed, and only then do the various functions and roles of the six consciousnesses arise.

Once the six consciousnesses arise, there is feeling-sensation, and then the discriminating function of consciousness-awareness, as well as the awareness of formations; there are the aggregate of feeling (vedanā), the aggregate of perception (saṃjñā), and the aggregate of formations (saṃskāra), and all the functions and roles of the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna). You must carefully observe each specific function and role one by one, without missing a single one. You should know that once the seeds of consciousness emerge, the conscious mind has these functions—this is very important. If you observe this clearly, you can attain realization in both the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna.

Within the aggregate of consciousness, the main object of contemplation is the illusory nature of feeling. Among our five aggregates, the aggregate of feeling is still the primary one, for sentient beings all take their feelings and sensations as real, and center their bodily, verbal, and mental activities of the five aggregates around these feelings and sensations. Observe how this feeling-sensation is unreal, subject to arising and ceasing, empty, suffering, and not self; then continue to contemplate the aggregate of perception and the aggregate of formations. The aggregate of perception is grasping (upādāna), taking signs—taking signs upon the mind, discerning and discriminating, or various kinds of thought and deliberation.

As for the aggregate of formations, where there is consciousness there is formation, because consciousness must necessarily operate; only after consciousness operates do feeling and perception arise, along with discrimination and these other functions and roles. If you contemplate clearly the content of how the seeds of consciousness form consciousness, then both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna dharmas can be realized upon this, and the wisdom of your future enlightenment will be extremely profound. Upon enlightenment, you will awaken directly to Yogācāra. This awakening is far deeper and more penetrating than the awakening of Chan. When you awaken to consciousness, the wisdom becomes extremely profound, and in the future you will quickly come to possess the seed-wisdom of Yogācāra (the wisdom of the varieties of paths and the wisdom of all aspects).