The Concurrent Operation of the Seven Consciousnesses in the Discrimination of the Six Objects

Question: When the manas (mind faculty) seeks to perceive a particular object, do the five consciousnesses perceive it simultaneously, and is the information perceived by the five consciousnesses directly conveyed to the manas? Does the manas, upon receiving the information transmitted by the five consciousnesses, then decide whether to perceive it deeply and determine whether consciousness (mano-vijñāna) arises?

Answer: The five sense objects and the dharma-object together constitute the complete object-sphere. Perceiving the complete object-sphere requires the combined functioning of the five consciousnesses and the five sense-accompanying mental consciousness; they cannot perceive separately. Therefore, the information received by the manas is jointly transmitted by the five consciousnesses and the mental consciousness.

When sentient beings perceive at the same moment, the five consciousnesses and the mental consciousness operate simultaneously. For example, when the manas knows there is a person in front, it may wish to examine this person carefully. Then the eye consciousness and mental consciousness arise upon the form-object of this person's material body, perceiving the person's appearance. Simultaneously, the ear consciousness and mental consciousness arise, perceiving the person's voice and surrounding sounds. However, at this time, the nose consciousness may also arise, capable of smelling odor-objects, and the body consciousness may also exist, having sensations regarding the temperature and one's own body.

All five consciousnesses and the five sense-accompanying mental consciousness exist and are perceiving. However, perception always has a focus, because the manas has limited attention, limited energy, and limited concentration power. Therefore, the manas has a focal point of attention; it does not focus equally on all six sense objects but prioritizes them, with primary and secondary focus. Primary dharmas (objects/things) receive focused and special perception, while secondary dharmas are lightly noted and passed over. If the manas focuses intently on the person in front, the eye consciousness, ear consciousness, and mental consciousness will allocate more attention to perceive them. Meanwhile, surrounding odors may not be smelled or may be disregarded, and bodily sensations may be forgotten or felt only faintly.

Why is it that the varying degrees of focus by the manas result in varying degrees of perception by the six consciousnesses? Because the arising of the five consciousnesses and the mental consciousness is determined by the manas. The degree of focus in perception (intense or slight) is also determined by the manas, not by the mental consciousness, and certainly not by the five consciousnesses. Whatever dharmas the manas focuses on intently, the six consciousnesses will perceive those dharmas intently. The six consciousnesses are entirely dispatched by the manas; their attention is allocated by the manas. Therefore, it is said that the six consciousnesses are involuntary. Although the mental consciousness, while perceiving, may have its own assertions and opinions, the manas may choose to adopt or not adopt these assertions and opinions of the mental consciousness.