Does the Eighth Consciousness Neither Perceive Nor Discriminate the Six Dusts?

Question: Is the eighth consciousness incapable of perceiving and discriminating the six dusts?

Answer: The eighth consciousness possesses the five universal mental factors. It must perceive and discriminate all dharmas that it grasps and maintains; otherwise, it would be incapable of any function. It cannot blindly alter or create any dharma. Therefore, the eighth consciousness perceives the six dusts and also discriminates them. If it did not perceive and discriminate, how could it alter and give rise to the six dusts? It is merely that the content perceived by the eighth consciousness differs from that of the seventh consciousness. The eighth consciousness also discriminates. If it did not discriminate, when giving rise to the six dusts, it would inevitably result in misattribution, chaotic and disorderly creation without any principle. However, the dharmas discriminated by the eighth consciousness are not like those discriminated by the seventh consciousness. Its discrimination does not fall within the realm of worldly dharmas. The seventh consciousness can only discriminate dharmas at the level of the mundane world; it can never discriminate supramundane dharmas beyond the worldly realm like the eighth consciousness does.

Regarding all dharmas, the eighth consciousness and the seventh consciousness each bear their own responsibilities and possess distinct functional roles; they cannot substitute for one another. For the aspects that require the eighth consciousness to be responsible, the eighth consciousness must first perceive and discriminate before the mental factor of deliberation (cetanā) can function and engage in creation. For example, in assessing a student's academic performance, subject teachers can only evaluate the subjects they teach. The content evaluated and judged by each teacher is certainly different. Through combined operation and synthesis, the assessment of the student's academic performance can be completed to determine whether to issue a graduation certificate.