The Relationship Between the Perceiving Aspect of the Eighth Consciousness and the Five Universal Mental Factors

The perception of phenomena by the eight consciousnesses is all realized through the five universal mental factors: attention (manasikāra), contact (sparśa), sensation (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), and volition (cetanā). The eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) itself possesses its own seeds (bīja). The continuous operation of these seeds forms the eighth consciousness. The eighth consciousness operates the five universal mental factors—attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition—toward various phenomena, thereby discerning and processing them. Its function differs somewhat from the sensation, perception, and volition of the seventh consciousness. The operation of the five universal mental factors is free from any afflictions (kleśa) or ignorance (avidyā), belonging to a state of non-deliberate operation, also known as spontaneous functioning (anābhoga) or functioning in accordance with phenomena. Within this process, sensation does not enter into the phenomena themselves, perception involves no complex mental activity, and volition entails discrimination, formation, as well as the maintenance and management of phenomena.

The seventh consciousness also possesses its own seeds. Its perception likewise relies on the operation of the five universal mental factors. During the operation of these five factors, afflictions and ignorance may be mixed in, and wholesome or unwholesome mental factors may also arise together. After the operation of the five universal mental factors, the functions of seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing emerge. However, because afflictive mental factors arise within the seventh consciousness, they exert a certain obscuring effect on its seeing, hearing, sensing, and knowing, causing the seventh consciousness to perceive phenomena inaccurately and unclearly, leading to frequent misunderstandings. Consequently, these misunderstandings result in the creation of unwholesome karma, forming karmic cause and effect.