The Cause of the Arising of the Five Aggregates

The organizational structure of every sentient being's physical body is so intricate, the nervous system so delicate, and its functions even more subtle. The Tathagatagarbha is truly a master artisan. What kind of blueprint did It use? Who designed it? How was the physical body constructed according to this blueprint? How utterly miraculous!

Why is there the birth of the five aggregates? What was the initial cause for the arising of the world and the five aggregates? The Śūraṅgama Sūtra mentions a crucial point: it was the mental faculty (manas) desiring to perceive something, thus seeking outwardly, that brought about the chaotic world. Before this, only the Tathagatagarbha and the mental faculty existed, vast and indistinct. The birth of the five aggregates can only be traced back to the Tathagatagarbha, leading to the conclusion: name-and-form (nāmarūpa) arises dependent on consciousness (the eighth consciousness), and consciousness (the eighth consciousness) arises dependent on name-and-form.