What Is the Thought-Free Spiritually Aware Mind?

Thoughtlessness means being free from thoughts, having no thoughts whatsoever. Luminous awareness is the sensitive knowing. Which consciousness among the seven consciousnesses can achieve sensitive knowing while being free from thoughts?

When the mental consciousness is without thoughts yet still knows forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, and mental objects, does the eye consciousness then have awareness? Can it know red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet? It has awareness. Does the ear consciousness have awareness, knowing the coarse and heavy characteristics of sound and its vibrational nature? It has awareness. Does the nose consciousness have awareness, knowing the coarse and heavy characteristics of smell objects and their pungent nature? It has awareness. Does the tongue consciousness have awareness, knowing the coarse and heavy characteristics of taste objects? It has awareness. Does the body consciousness have awareness, knowing the coarse and heavy characteristics of tactile objects? It has awareness. Does the mental consciousness have awareness, knowing the mental objects upon the five sense objects? It has awareness. Does the seventh consciousness have awareness? Knowing all the realms of the six sense objects? It has awareness. Does the eighth consciousness have awareness, knowing the mental activities of the mental faculty, knowing karmic seeds, knowing the universe and the material world? It has awareness. Thus, although the mental consciousness is without thoughts, it does not affect the knowing nature of any consciousness. The knowing of the mental faculty governs the six consciousnesses, and the knowing of the eighth consciousness governs all dharmas.

Similarly, when the mental consciousness neither thinks of good nor evil, which consciousnesses are functioning? All eight consciousnesses are functioning. Then how can one distinguish between the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses and the true mind of the eighth consciousness at this time? How can one realize the eighth consciousness without mistaking the minds of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses for the eighth consciousness?

Some people, upon encountering a certain phenomenon within the functioning of the five aggregates, claim it is the functioning of the eighth consciousness. If that is the case, then in the future, let the six consciousnesses be extinguished, allowing the eighth consciousness to function alone; let the seven consciousnesses be extinguished, allowing the eighth consciousness to function alone, and see how the eighth consciousness can still function after the departure of the seven consciousnesses. Clearly, this is impossible. Therefore, one must observe and analyze the five aggregates, negate and eliminate the view that the five aggregates constitute the self, and not regard the functions of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses as real or as the self. Only then can one recognize that true mind, the eighth consciousness, which is neither born nor extinguished.

Presently, people's realization generally attributes the combined functioning of the eight consciousnesses solely to the eighth consciousness alone, obliterating the functional roles of the seven consciousnesses. If the functions of the seven consciousnesses could indeed be extinguished, that would be ideal. Then, constantly and everywhere, it would be solely the functioning of the eighth consciousness; the seven consciousnesses would be unnecessary, and all dharmas would be the exclusive functional manifestations of the eighth consciousness, all being the eighth consciousness. Then one would realize the One True Dharma Realm and be not far from Buddhahood. However, if there are no functions of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses within this, then who is it that knows all dharmas are the eighth consciousness? If the eighth consciousness can function alone apart from the seven consciousnesses, then even in the nirvana without residue, the eighth consciousness would still be able to give rise to all dharmas. Would this still be the state of nirvana?