Section Four: The Relationship Between the Five Aggregates and the Eighth Consciousness

1. Using the Flower and Its Fragrance as an Analogy for Their Relationship

From the Mahayana perspective, the five aggregates and the eighth consciousness have a relationship of neither identity nor difference. The form aggregate, feeling aggregate, perception aggregate, volitional formations aggregate, and consciousness aggregate are all subject to birth, cessation, change, and impermanence; they lack true reality and are not the true self, the eighth consciousness. However, the five aggregates are born from the eighth consciousness, derived from the eighth consciousness, and are not different from the eighth consciousness. Apart from the five aggregates, the eighth consciousness cannot be found; yet the eighth consciousness and the five aggregates do not intermingle. The eighth consciousness is not within the five aggregates, nor are the five aggregates within the eighth consciousness.

Why are the five aggregates not different from the eighth consciousness? The World-Honored One gave an analogy: consider the relationship between a flower and its fragrance. The fragrance depends on the flower to exist; apart from the flower, there is no fragrance. Where there is fragrance, there must be a flower. However, a flower can exist without fragrance; apart from the fragrance, the flower can still exist. To find the flower, one need only follow the fragrance; it will certainly be found. By smelling the fragrance, one can locate the flower.

The flower is analogous to the eighth consciousness, and the fragrance is analogous to the five aggregates. Apart from the eighth consciousness, there are no five aggregates; apart from the five aggregates, the eighth consciousness cannot be found. From the perspective of conventional truth, the form aggregate is not the eighth consciousness, yet apart from the form aggregate, the eighth consciousness cannot be found. The feeling aggregate is not the eighth consciousness, yet apart from the feeling aggregate, the eighth consciousness cannot be found. The perception aggregate is not the eighth consciousness, yet apart from the perception aggregate, the eighth consciousness cannot be found. The volitional formations aggregate is not the eighth consciousness, yet apart from the volitional formations aggregate, the eighth consciousness cannot be found. The consciousness aggregate is not the eighth consciousness, yet apart from the consciousness aggregate, the eighth consciousness cannot be found. The five aggregates are not different from the eighth consciousness; they are part of the eighth consciousness, attributes of the eighth consciousness. The eighth consciousness can manifest upon the five aggregates; apart from the five aggregates, the eighth consciousness cannot manifest. The eighth consciousness and the five aggregates are of different natures and cannot intermingle, just as form and sound cannot mix together. However, from the perspective of the wisdom of consciousness-only (vijñapti-mātratā), the substance of the five aggregates is the eighth consciousness itself; the entire five aggregates are suchness (tathatā).

2. Neither Resides Within the Other

When the World-Honored One first taught the Hinayana Dharma, He already pointed out that within the five aggregates of sentient beings exists the unborn and unceasing eighth consciousness. Followers of the Hinayana, trusting the Buddha's words, know of the existence of this mind and thus can sever the view of self, not mistaking the false self of the five aggregates, knowing that the cessation of the five aggregates is not annihilation, for there remains the unceasing eighth consciousness. The five aggregates and the eighth consciousness are neither identical nor different, nor do they reside within each other. Why do they not reside within each other? Because the eighth consciousness is formless and without characteristics. If the eighth consciousness were within the physical body, one could find it by cutting the body apart, but this is impossible. Ancient kings experimented with condemned prisoners, cutting their bodies apart piece by piece, yet even after dismemberment, the eighth consciousness was not found. The eighth consciousness is formless and without characteristics; it is not something that can merge with the body, nor can it be discovered with the physical eye. It must be recognized or understood through the wisdom-eye of a bodhisattva, this eighth consciousness mind which has no form.

3. The Meaning of "Neither Resides Within the Other"

"Neither resides within the other" has two meanings. From the Hinayana perspective, the self of the five aggregates and what belongs to the self do not intermingle. For example, if one takes the form aggregate as the self, then the feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness aggregates become what belongs to the self; yet the form aggregate and the feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness aggregates do not reside within each other. From the Mahayana perspective, the true mind, the eighth consciousness, does not mix with the five aggregates, does not mingle with them, does not adhere to them, does not touch them, and does not blend with them. Because they are of different categories, the eighth consciousness is formless and without characteristics, having no volume or form; it cannot mingle with the physical body, just as space does not mix with the body, and space does not mix or mingle with any material substance.

The eighth consciousness is formless and without characteristics; it cannot be located specifically in any one place, nor is it inside or outside the body. Yet it can reach both inside and outside, simultaneously responding to matters all around the physical body, reaching everywhere without obstruction. If the eighth consciousness had form, it would be obstructed; if it could be in one place, it could not simultaneously be in another place. This is the principle of its pervading all dharmas. For example, while you are in the Saha world, it is with you in the Saha world, yet simultaneously it is also maintaining the corpse or grave of your previous life in other worlds, or it goes to the Land of Ultimate Bliss to produce the lotus seat you will need at the time of rebirth, or it goes into others' dreams, or returns to past lives, or goes to future lives. The eighth consciousness can also, according to conditions, perform other actions, such as retaliating against someone, blessing someone, benefiting someone, teaching someone, harming someone, etc. It is upon the six sense faculties, upon the six sense objects, and upon the six consciousnesses; there is no dharma without its presence.

4. The Distinction and Connection Between the Five Aggregates and the Eighth Consciousness

The five aggregates undergo birth, abiding, change, and cessation; they flow and change thought-moment after thought-moment, impermanent and mutable, hence they are suffering. Impermanence and change are suffering. We cannot grasp the five aggregates, cannot control them. When they gradually age, when illness arises, we are helpless; we cannot make them change according to our will. This is our helplessness regarding the five aggregates, which also illustrates their lack of autonomy, their inability to be the master. Therefore, the five aggregates are not the self, nor are they what is possessed by the self; they are not real. On the other hand, the five aggregates can be altered by us and by external forces. For example, limbs can be amputated, the body damaged; various cosmetic surgeries and operations can add or remove organs and substances. Such five aggregates are unstable and impermanent, not fixed, hence not real, not eternally unchanging, not the self.

The true self is eternally constant and unchanging, free from suffering and possessing autonomy; it is independent and self-mastering. The self is eternally unchanging; no external force can alter it. It is permanently uniform, without suffering and without birth or cessation. The false self, which undergoes birth and change, has a relationship of neither identity nor difference with the true self. The false self cannot exist apart from the true self; the true self needs to manifest upon the false self, although it does not depend on the false self for its existence. If the two were identical, the cessation of the false self would mean the cessation of the true self. If they were two separate things, the false self could exist even without the true self; the false self could exist alone, but in fact, this is not the case. Therefore, between the two there is both distinction and connection; they have a relationship of neither identity nor difference.

5. Why is Suffering Not the Self?

The true self is eternal; what is eternal is pure and autonomous; what is pure and autonomous is the bliss of cessation (nirvana). Suffering, however, is subject to birth, change, and impermanence; it is not eternally enduring. What is eternally enduring must be the bliss of purity, true bliss, the bliss of stillness. The dharmas that continue unceasingly life after life must be the blissful dharmas of purity; dharmas that cease must be suffering. What does not cease, does not change, and exists eternally is bliss; it is the self. What ceases and changes is suffering; therefore, suffering is not the self. The self is without suffering; the self is eternal, forever free from sorrow; therefore, the self has no suffering.

Within the five-aggregate body, there is the eighth consciousness, which does not cease, does not change, and experiences no suffering. The five aggregates have suffering; therefore, the five aggregates are not the self, yet the five aggregates are not different from the self. "Different" means two dharmas, dharmas that are distinct and unrelated. However, the five aggregates are born from the eighth consciousness; they are part of the seed functions and activities of the eighth consciousness. They are not completely separate from the eighth consciousness; they are non-dual dharmas with the eighth consciousness.

6. Contrast Between the True and the False

The Hinayana's suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self correspond to the Mahayana's eternity, bliss, selfhood, and purity. The impermanence of the seven consciousnesses corresponds to the eternity of the eighth consciousness; the suffering of the seven consciousnesses corresponds to the bliss of cessation of the eighth consciousness; the non-self of the seven consciousnesses corresponds to the self of the eighth consciousness; the impurity of the seven consciousnesses corresponds to the purity of the eighth consciousness.

7. The Relationship Between the Volitional Formations Aggregate and the Eight Consciousnesses

The volitional formations aggregate (saṃskāra) within the five aggregates includes bodily formations, verbal formations, and mental formations. Within bodily formations, sometimes the six consciousnesses are present, sometimes they are not. Certain bodily formations involve the operation and maintenance of the six consciousnesses, while others do not involve the operation of the six consciousnesses and do not require their function. Bodily formations without the activity of the six consciousnesses include the functioning of the physical body during dreamless sleep, coma, the state of no-thought concentration (asaṃjñi-samāpatti), and the state of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti). In these four situations, the six consciousnesses have ceased and do not exist, yet the body remains, its various functions continue to operate, and it is not in a state of death.

At such times, the various operations of the body are maintained by the manas (seventh consciousness) and the eighth consciousness. This means bodily formations can sometimes function apart from the six consciousnesses. Even when the six consciousnesses exist, certain bodily formations are unrelated to them and are directly maintained and acted upon by the manas and the eighth consciousness. Examples include breathing, blood circulation, heartbeat, cellular metabolism, digestion and excretion of food, nerve conduction, and many other functions.

Because the body faculty is discerned and maintained by the eighth consciousness, the manas can indirectly discern by relying on the seeing aspect of the eighth consciousness. Therefore, the manas can directly act upon the body faculty, exercising control, causing the body to have various natural reactions. For example, eyelid twitching during sleep, various neural activities, runny nose, the activity of internal organs, bedwetting in children, etc.

There are also instances where the manas directly makes decisions, and the six consciousnesses unconsciously participate in bodily activities. For instance: while driving, encountering an emergency and suddenly swerving; consciousness has no time to analyze and judge, only instantly discerns and transmits the discerned information to the manas. The manas then perceives the danger and, based on the habit of self-protection, decides to avoid it. A hand being suddenly burned and immediately pulling away, without conscious thought, analysis, or judgment; only the discerned situation is quickly transmitted to the manas. An insect falling on the body is immediately shaken off without conscious analysis; the manas perceives it and habitually takes self-protective measures. A mosquito biting causes an immediate swat without conscious consideration or choice. Something foreign in the mouth is immediately spat out without conscious deliberation or choice. Stepping on something foreign causes the foot to immediately lift without conscious judgment or analysis. In many such situations, the function of the six consciousnesses is not very apparent.

In the Hinayana, the aggregates refer only to the six consciousnesses. In the Mahayana, the aggregates are much broader; sometimes the seventh consciousness is included because the seventh consciousness is also consciousness and has the function of consciousness. The seventh consciousness also operates; therefore, the seventh consciousness has the volitional formations aggregate. The seventh consciousness also has feeling and perception mental factors, thus having the feeling and perception aggregates. It also has a function within the form aggregate; otherwise, the form aggregate would not exist. The seventh consciousness can exert corresponding functions upon the five aggregates, so the five aggregates can also include the seventh consciousness, the manas.

In the Mahayana, the aggregates can also include the eighth consciousness, which aggregates the karmic actions of the five aggregates and seven consciousnesses, generating the karmic results of the five aggregates in the future. Because the eighth consciousness is also consciousness and has the function of consciousness, only the aggregates of the eighth consciousness are not subject to birth and cessation, are not suffering, and differ greatly from the first seven consciousnesses. The eighth consciousness operates upon all five aggregates, and the five aggregates cannot exist apart from the eighth consciousness; otherwise, the five aggregates would cease to exist. The eighth consciousness itself possesses the five universal mental factors (pañca-sarvatraga), so the eighth consciousness also has feeling, perception, and volition. Of course, the feeling, perception, and volition of the eighth consciousness cannot cease; they perpetually accompany the operation of the eighth consciousness, differing vastly from the aggregate functions of the first seven consciousnesses.

Ordinary beings before awakening and bodhisattvas before the first bhūmi (ground) cannot contemplate and realize these dharmas. Profound Dharma meanings like these are not discussed in superficial sūtras and treatises, lest beings be unable to bear them. Therefore, we say the connotation of the Mahayana Dharma is extremely vast; that is why it is called "Great" (Mahā). Its scope is immensely broad; that is why it is called "Great." It directly reaches all dharmas of the Buddha stage; that is why it is called "Great." It attains ultimate perfection; that is why it is called "Great." It encompasses the worlds of the ten directions; that is why it is called "Great." Finally, it returns to the One True Dharma Realm; that is why it is called "Great." There is nothing beyond the One True Dharma Realm.