What Does Consciousness Refer to in the Twelve Nidānas and Ten Nidānas?

The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination: ignorance conditions formations, formations condition consciousness, consciousness conditions name-and-form. Here, "consciousness" refers to the six consciousnesses, because the bodily, verbal, and mental actions created by the six consciousnesses plant karmic seeds for future lives, which then lead to rebirth in the womb, giving rise to name-and-form in the next life. However, in the Tenfold Dependent Origination, when it is said that "consciousness conditions name-and-form" and "name-and-form conditions consciousness," this "consciousness" does not refer to the six consciousnesses. The meaning of "name-and-form conditions consciousness" is that name-and-form depends on this consciousness to manifest the phenomena of arising, abiding, changing, and perishing. This consciousness exists first, and only then do name-and-form and the six consciousnesses come into being. Name-and-form already includes the six consciousnesses, so the six consciousnesses arise along with name-and-form, are subject to arising, abiding, changing, and perishing, and depend on this consciousness to manifest arising, abiding, changing, and perishing.

Thus, the "consciousness" in "name-and-form conditions consciousness" is not equivalent to the six consciousnesses but rather has a relationship of giving birth to and being born from them. This consciousness is the fundamental consciousness that precedes heaven and earth, the Ālaya-vijñāna, which is neither born nor perishes and gives rise to all phenomena.