Exposition on the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in the Ninth Volume of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra (Part XIV)

What is the aggregate of sensation? The aggregate of sensation is all types of reception pertaining to all dharmas: pleasant sensation, unpleasant sensation, and neutral sensation. What is the aggregate of perception? The aggregate of perception is all types of manifestation of the appearances of all objects, which is the function of the six consciousnesses to manifest appearances; of course, the seventh consciousness also has the function of manifesting appearances. What is the aggregate of mental formations? The aggregate of mental formations is all types of mental activities created by the mind-consciousness, specifically the mental factor of volition (cetanā) of the six consciousnesses; of course, the seventh consciousness also possesses the mental factor of volition and also has formations. What is the aggregate of consciousness? The aggregate of consciousness is all types of discrimination pertaining to all objective dharmas, which is the discrimination of the six consciousnesses; the seventh consciousness also has discrimination. These aggregates of sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness all pervade the Three Realms, existing within the Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm, because consciousness exists in all three realms, as does the seventh consciousness; both consciousnesses possess the functions of sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.

What are the four great elements? They are the earth, water, fire, and wind elements. These all pervade two realms [the Desire Realm and the Form Realm]. What is form produced by the four great elements? It is the ten sense-spheres of form and the form apprehended by the dharma-āyatana. The Desire Realm possesses all ten [sense-spheres of form] and the form apprehended by the dharma-āyatana, which is nominal form. The Form Realm possesses eight [sense-spheres of form] and the form apprehended by the dharma-āyatana, but not all types [are present]. This [form produced by the four great elements] is also of two kinds: The first is name-and-form at the seed stage, apprehended by consciousness-seeds (vijñāna-bīja), where the seeds are called name-and-form. The second is the resultant name-and-form produced from them.

The four great elements and the consciousness-seeds are both great seeds within the ālayavijñāna; the two stand in an equal, parallel relationship, together constituting the five aggregates (skandhas) of name-and-form. Tangible form is formed by the four great elements, while intangible name is formed by the consciousness-seeds.

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