The Correspondence Between the Five Aggregates and the Eighteen Dhātus

The concept, scope, function, and role of the Aggregate of Form; the concept, scope, function, and role of the Aggregate of Sensation; the concept, scope, function, and role of the Aggregate of Perception; the concept, scope, function, and role of the Aggregate of Mental Formations; the concept, scope, function, and role of the Aggregate of Consciousness; and the concept, scope, function, and role of the six sense bases (eye base, ear base, nose base, tongue base, body base, mind base); the concept, scope, function, and role of the six sense objects; the concept, scope, function, and role of the six consciousnesses — what are each of these? What are their corresponding relationships? To which specific Aggregate among the Five Aggregates do the Eighteen Realms correspond?

The five sense bases, the five sense objects, and mental objects correspond to the Aggregate of Form. The six consciousnesses and the mind base correspond to the Aggregate of Consciousness and the Aggregates of Sensation, Perception, and Mental Formations. Sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness are associated with the seven consciousnesses. Form is also associated with consciousness; without consciousness, there would be no Aggregate of Form for the five sense bases. However, ordinary people cannot observe the Aggregates of Sensation, Perception, Mental Formations, and Consciousness pertaining to the mind base. Even the functional roles of sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness in the five sense consciousnesses are unclear to most people. Therefore, the functions of sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness related to the mind base are generally not mentioned in the teachings of the Hinayana.

The Aggregate of Form is formed by the accumulation of the four great elements. The Aggregates of Sensation, Perception, Mental Formations, and Consciousness are formed by the accumulation of consciousness seeds. Consciousness seeds alone cannot perform any function; they must operate in conjunction with mental factors. Therefore, the Aggregates of Sensation, Perception, Mental Formations, and Consciousness are essentially the functional roles of mental factors. The mental factors of the six consciousnesses cannot function independently of the mental factors of the mind base. If the mental factors of the mind base do not operate, there would be no six consciousnesses or their mental factors at all.

Therefore, the Five Aggregates and the Eighteen Realms should correspond one-to-one. The first five sense bases and five sense objects correspond to the Aggregate of Form. The mind base, mind consciousness, and the five sense consciousnesses correspond to the Aggregates of Sensation, Perception, Mental Formations, and Consciousness. The overall commander enabling the operation of all these dharmas is the mind base, and the supreme commander is the Tathagatagarbha.