The Arising of Form Precedes the Six Consciousnesses

The eleven types of form include the five sense faculties, the five sense objects, and the form included in the dharmāyatana (the form-dharmāyatana). These necessarily arise prior to the six consciousnesses; otherwise, the six consciousnesses cannot manifest. After the six consciousnesses arise, they can impel the manifestation of the shadow-only realm. The shadow-only realm is also produced by the mental faculty's deluded thoughts, enabling the mental consciousness to perceive it, and further driving the continued arising and illusory transformations of the shadow-only realm. When the sense faculties and their objects come into contact, the conscious mind subsequently arises; the mental consciousness does not arise before the appearance of the internal dharmāyatana. When the mental faculty grasps external dharmāyatana objects, it cannot give rise to mental consciousness; no mental consciousness arises. Obscured by ignorance, the mental faculty, when discerning all dharmas, does not know their essence or true nature and cannot dispel ignorance to give rise to wisdom. This obstructs and limits the functions of the six consciousnesses. When the mental consciousness studies the Buddha Dharma, it continuously influences the mental faculty through habituation. Once the mental faculty comprehends the principles, it will realize that all conventional dharmas of the five aggregates are impermanent, changing, unreal, empty, and devoid of self. Further, it will realize that the essence of both the five-aggregate body and all dharmas is the nature of the Tathagatagarbha.