The Difference Between the Perceiving-Aspect and the Object-Aspect

Answer: The sixth and seventh consciousnesses are both the perceiving-aspect and the object-aspect. The object-aspect is the dharma discerned by the mind consciousness, while the mind consciousness is the perceiving-aspect. The mind consciousness itself and the manas are also object-aspects; whatever dharma is being discerned is the object-aspect, and the conscious mind that actively discerns is the perceiving-aspect.

The seeing of the tathāgatagarbha's seven great seeds is not the perceiving-aspect; it is the seed of the great element of seeing. The seed of the great element of seeing forms the seeing nature of the tathāgatagarbha. The perceiving-aspect of the tathāgatagarbha operates through the five universal mental factors—manaskāra (attention), sparśa (contact), vedanā (feeling), saṃjñā (perception), and cetanā (volition)—with the mental factor of perception (saṃjñā) playing the primary role. It operates in this way upon all dharmas, and thereby discerns all dharmas. However, this discernment is completely different from the discerning nature of the seventh consciousness; it is not the discernment of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, so familiar to sentient beings, which know sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, and dharmas. Without the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only (唯识种智), one cannot observe this through direct perception (现量); even imagining it is very difficult.