The Activities of the Eight Consciousnesses: The Mental Factor of Volition

The scope of "operation" is extremely broad, encompassing the operations of the eight consciousnesses. In a broad sense, it refers to movement, functioning, activity, behavior, change, flux, and so forth. In short, all phenomena that flow and circulate without cessation fall within the scope of "operation." Viewed this way, there is fundamentally no principle or phenomenon in the mundane or supramundane realms that does not operate or move. This includes Tathāgatagarbha, which is also constantly operating, never having stopped, and will never stop. Its operational characteristics can be observed, yet within all operations, the mind itself is quiescent and unmoving.

Why is this said? Firstly, because Tathāgatagarbha possesses the five universal mental factors. These five mental factors have never ceased for even an instant; they are perpetually functioning. Even within Nirvana without residue, the five universal mental factors of Tathāgatagarbha operate continuously without interruption. Secondly, Tathāgatagarbha itself also has its own mental seeds that arise and cease moment by moment without interruption. It is precisely this that enables Tathāgatagarbha to continuously exist and function perpetually, without stagnation for even an instant, thereby constituting a consciousness that neither arises nor ceases.

The five universal mental factors of Tathāgatagarbha operate as long as they exist; this is "operation." Moreover, the mental factor of volition (cetanā) itself represents both the meaning of choice and the meaning of operation or activity. It is precisely the operation of Tathāgatagarbha that causes all dharmas to continuously arise and function, to be perpetually born and extinguished. Therefore, broadly speaking, Tathāgatagarbha can also be included within the aggregate of formations (saṃskāra), except that this aggregate of formations is not subject to arising and ceasing. Tathāgatagarbha has the functional capacity to aggregate dharmas; thus, broadly speaking, Tathāgatagarbha can also be called the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna), and it is the most fundamental aggregate of consciousness, the aggregate of consciousness that neither arises nor ceases. It is precisely due to the functional nature of Tathāgatagarbha as the aggregate of consciousness that it can aggregate dharmas, cause dharmas to undergo birth, death, and change, cause sentient beings to cycle endlessly in saṃsāra, and cause the world to be unpredictable.

How exactly does Tathāgatagarbha function? Firstly, it outputs seeds, withdraws seeds, creates all dharmas of the five-aggregate world, causes all dharmas to continuously undergo birth, death, and change without cessation, and stores karmic seeds while releasing karmic seeds. Secondly, regarding karmic seeds and all dharmas of the five-aggregate world, it continuously engages in contact, attention, sensation, perception, and volition, causing all dharmas to operate continuously according to conditions. Even though Tathāgatagarbha operates continuously like this without cessation, it does not in the slightest affect its own inherently quiescent and unconditioned nature, nor does it affect its mental activity of neither seeing, hearing, desiring, nor seeking regarding dharmas, nor does it affect its mental activity of being unmoved and unturned by dharmas.

The operation of the seventh consciousness includes the operation of ignorance within the twelve links of dependent origination, and also includes the operation of the sages who are free from ignorance. The operation of ignorance is the operation of birth, death, and saṃsāra; the operation free from ignorance is the operation of liberation from birth and death. The operation of the seventh consciousness plays a decisively crucial role regarding both saṃsāra and liberation. It is precisely the operation of the seventh consciousness that prompts Tathāgatagarbha to aggregate the karmic seeds of birth, death, and saṃsāra of the five aggregates, thereby aggregating the five-aggregate world. Therefore, again broadly speaking, the seventh consciousness also belongs to the categories of the aggregate of formations and the aggregate of consciousness.

The operation of the six consciousnesses is easy to observe and understand. The six consciousnesses are of dependent nature; they are passively arising operations. Whether broadly or narrowly defined, the six consciousnesses are subsumed within the aggregate of consciousness. This is because the physical, verbal, and mental actions created by the six consciousnesses are precisely the cause for the aggregation of karmic seeds, the cause for the manifestation of the five-aggregate world, and the cause for the aggregation of name-and-form. Although this aggregation is passive, it constitutes a significant portion of the aggregating function.