The Arising of Consciousness Is Closely Related to Material Form

The principle governing the arising of the six consciousnesses: when the faculties and sense objects come into contact, the tathāgatagarbha gives rise to consciousness. If a faculty undergoes alteration, the consciousness's capacity for discernment encounters obstruction; if a sense object undergoes change, the consciousness's discernment encounters obstruction. Yet the consciousness-seeds of consciousness itself never undergo change. The structure of the four great elements' seeds that compose the body constantly changes in accordance with karmic force and various conditions, and material form must therefore undergo continuous change. Neural transmission all takes place through the body faculty and the five faculties; it cannot be separated from the five faculties. The tathāgatagarbha relies on the five faculties to transmit the subtle particles of the four great elements and manifests the inner six sense objects. The tathāgatagarbha also relies on the supreme faculties to manifest mental sense objects. When the faculties and sense objects undergo change, the conscious mind changes accordingly, and discernment inevitably goes awry.

Mental sense objects are manifested in dependence on the supreme faculties; if there is a problem with the supreme faculties, the mind consciousness's discernment will inevitably have problems. Consciousness accompanied by the five senses cannot exist apart from the five sense objects, apart from the five faculties, and apart from the supreme faculties. Solitary consciousness still cannot be separated from the supreme faculties; if the supreme faculties are obstructed, solitary consciousness also cannot arise, and the person falls into a state of coma. If solitary consciousness had no relation to the supreme faculties, then the solitary consciousness of a person in a vegetative state should also function normally, without problems. Yet the solitary consciousness of a person in a vegetative state rarely arises; such a person cannot deliberate, analyze, judge, or reason, and can hardly recollect anything. Therefore we arrive at a conclusion: the arising of the mind consciousness is closely related to material form, and is also closely related to the brain—the supreme faculties.