The Operation of the Seven Consciousnesses and Cetasikas

When the six sense faculties contact the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses are produced. The six sense faculties and the six sense objects together constitute the twelve entrances. The six sense faculties refer to the subtle sense faculties, located at the back of the head; the five subtle sense faculties plus the mental faculty constitute the six sense faculties, also known as the internal six entrances. The six sense objects are the internal five sense objects plus the form included in the dharmāyatana, constituting the internal six sense objects, also known as the external six entrances. The internal six entrances and the external six entrances together are called the twelve entrances. Among them, the faculties and objects are certainly together; the internal six sense objects are born within the subtle sense faculties at the back of the head and contact the six sense faculties. Only when the faculties and objects are together can they contact each other; after contact, the mental faculty applies mental attention, and only then can the eighth consciousness produce the six consciousnesses.

Contact between faculties and objects means that the faculties and objects are certainly together. Where? The five subtle sense faculties are in the area at the back of the head, so the five sense objects must manifest and arise at the location of the subtle sense faculties in the back of the head. The internal five sense objects certainly arise at that place in the subtle sense faculties at the back of the head, so the contact between faculties and objects occurs together there. After the faculties and objects contact, the eighth consciousness produces the five consciousnesses. Simultaneously, the mental objects (dharmas) dependent on the five sense objects are also at the subtle sense faculties in the back of the head, contacting the mental faculty. The eighth consciousness simultaneously produces the mental consciousness, which, together with the five consciousnesses, discriminates the six sense objects. This is called the mental consciousness concomitant with the five sense consciousnesses.

After the six sense faculties contact the six sense objects and the six consciousnesses are produced, these three then combine and contact again. That is, the six consciousnesses, relying on the six sense faculties, again contact the six sense objects and are able to discern the six sense objects. The faculties and objects are constantly in contact. If the faculties and objects do not contact, the six consciousnesses will cease. Then, the six consciousnesses again contact the six sense objects. After contacting the six sense objects, they possess the nature of reception; they receive and accept the six sense objects, and the mental factor of sensation (vedanā) arises. After accepting the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses discern the six sense objects, grasp the six sense objects, and the mental factor of perception (saṃjñā) emerges.

After discerning the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses begin to deliberate. If the deliberation is unclear, they again apply mental attention, re-arousing mental attention towards the six sense objects. After applying mental attention, they again discern and again feel sensation. At this time, the sensation acquires emotional tones, and feelings of pain, pleasure, sorrow, joy, and equanimity arise. The initial sensation is reception and acceptance. After acceptance, it is equivalent to taking the six sense objects over, and only then does one know what the six sense objects are; this acceptance represents taking them over. Subsequent sensations then develop emotional coloring, and feelings of pain, pleasure, sorrow, joy, and equanimity will arise.

After sensations arise, if the sensations are unclear, they again grasp the characteristics and discern, and the mental factor of perception may again arise. After the mental factor of perception arises and discernment occurs, deliberation begins again. If deliberation remains unclear, they again make contact; after contact, they again discern, or again engage in perception, or again continue with sensation. After such discernment and sensation, they again deliberate, until finally, when the matter is deliberated clearly and discerned thoroughly, the six consciousnesses give rise to a decisive mind. The mental faculty cognizes and also gives rise to a decisive mind, and volitional action begins; this is the mental factor of volition (cetanā).

The content discerned by the six consciousnesses must also be transmitted to the mental faculty. Simultaneously, the mental faculty also initiates the operation of the five universal mental factors towards the six sense objects discerned by the six consciousnesses, giving rise to a series of mental activities. Finally, when the mental faculty gives rise to a decisive mind, deciding how to act, the eighth consciousness discerns this and, according to the mental faculty's deliberated decision and the dharmas upon which it applies mental attention, cooperates in carrying out the operation. Because the eighth consciousness must know what the mental faculty is applying mental attention to, and upon which aspect of the mental objects it is attending, only after knowing this can the eighth consciousness manifest the six consciousnesses upon that mental object. After the six consciousnesses manifest, they begin to create bodily, verbal, and mental actions.

If the mental faculty still deliberates unclearly, then the mental faculty will again make contact, again apply mental attention, again experience sensation, again discern, and finally again deliberate and make a decision. Before a decision is made, the five universal mental factors continuously operate back and forth. Their sequence may not follow the order of mental attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition; it may be inverted. Contact might come first, discernment later; or contact might come first, sensation first, with discernment following sensation. Perhaps after discernment comes sensation; if sensation and discernment remain unclear, deliberation continues again. If deliberation is still unclear, contact is made again, sensation is experienced again, and discernment is performed again.

Thus, which mental factor comes first is not fixed; the sequence here becomes disordered. Initially, it is mental attention. Mental attention certainly exists in the seed state. While in the seed state, corresponding to that mental object, mental attention arises. Then the consciousness seed is produced precisely at the location of that mental object; the mental faculty contacts the mental object, applies mental attention to that mental object, and the seed develops onto that mental object, forming the conscious mind. Contact with that mental object occurs first through mental attention, then the seed is produced. After the seed emerges and forms the conscious mind, it can then contact the mental object.

After contact comes reception; after reception comes grasping characteristics and discernment; after discernment comes deliberation. If deliberation is unclear, contact is made again; after contact comes receptive sensation, or at this point mental attention is again applied, followed by discernment. Then there is contact again, and discernment again. Here, the sequence of subsequent mental factors becomes disordered. The initial sequence follows the order of mental attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition; this is how the five universal mental factors operate.