Consciousness Is a Dependently Originated Dharma

Consciousness is a phenomenon arising from causes and conditions. It requires the presence of sensory objects, the mental factors of attention (manasikāra) and volition (cetanā) from the mental faculty (manas), and the eighth consciousness delivering seeds. For the consciousness that arises together with the five senses (the five sense consciousnesses), it additionally requires the cooperation of the five sense objects and the five sense consciousnesses. Only then can the functional activity of consciousness manifest. The functional activity of consciousness includes perceiving all phenomena, perceiving the functions of the five sense consciousnesses, perceiving the functions of the mental faculty, perceiving the functions of the eighth consciousness, and also includes the capacity for introspection.

After falling asleep, consciousness disappears and cannot perceive, much less introspect; while dreaming, consciousness has perception but finds introspection very difficult; during coma, consciousness disappears, lacking both perception and introspection; at death, consciousness disappears, lacking both perception and introspection; in the intermediate state (bardo), consciousness has perception but introspection is weak; in the second dhyāna and above, consciousness has perception but introspection is extremely faint or absent; in the state of non-perception (asaṃjñā-samāpatti), consciousness disappears, lacking both perception and introspection; in the state of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti), consciousness disappears, lacking both perception and introspection. Those of dull faculties have perception, but introspection is weak or absent.