The Spheres of the Seven Consciousnesses

The realm of direct perception (性境) is the perceived aspect (相分) that the five sense consciousnesses (五识) encounter and perceive, within which the mental consciousness (意识) does not engage in conceptual discrimination. After the five sense consciousnesses encounter an object, they perceive it exactly as it is, unaffected or altered by the mental consciousness's forceful interpretations (胜解). For example, when touching sunlight, the body consciousness perceives heat directly, without any fuss or judgment; the eye consciousness perceives brightness directly, without any fuss or judgment. It is immediate and does not require the mental consciousness to engage in prolonged discrimination, pondering over terminology, or generating mental activities (心行).

The realm of mere imagination (独影境) is an object experienced solely by the solitary mental consciousness (独头意识), with no involvement of the five sense consciousnesses. When the mental consciousness arises, the realm of mere imagination manifests. If the mental consciousness is correct, the realm is correct; if the mental consciousness is erroneous, the realm is erroneous. The realm transforms and manifests according to the mental consciousness, possessing no autonomy and no inherent nature (自体性).

The realm of semblance with substance (带质境) necessarily arises from the transmission of the fundamental eighth consciousness (根本第八识) of sentient beings. The eighth consciousness encounters the most fundamental real dharmas (实法) composed of the four great elements (四大种子). When the seventh consciousness (第七识) subsequently encounters these, the eighth consciousness manifests them once more as an illusory realm (幻化境). At this point, the sense object (尘境) possesses a certain substantial quality, enabling the seventh consciousness to perceive it. This is called true semblance with substance (真带质), which differs both from what the eighth consciousness encounters and from the dependent perception of the six consciousnesses (六识随缘).