Does Consciousness Have Innate Self-Grasping of Persons?

Does the sixth consciousness have innate grasping at a self of persons? If the sixth consciousness, like the seventh consciousness, already possesses the same cognition as in previous lives at the very moment the five aggregates are born, then of course it would also have the same grasping nature as in previous lives. If the sixth consciousness were born with innate grasping at a self of persons, without needing later teaching and permeation, then it would first have to know that there are the five aggregates and know them to be the self, and it would have to know that there are the eighteen realms and know them to be the self. Does the sixth consciousness, at the moment of birth, know without being taught that there are the five aggregates? Is the sixth consciousness born knowing, without being taught or learning, that there are the eighteen realms? Does it recognize the functions and operations of the five aggregates—form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness? Does it recognize the functions and operations of the eighteen realms—the six sense faculties, the six sense objects, and the six consciousnesses? Can it distinguish the difference between itself and others? Does it have concepts of self and others? Does it have the notions of a self, a person, a sentient being, and a life span? If the sixth consciousness has cognition of all the dharmas of the five aggregates and eighteen realms, then it has grasping at a self of persons; if it lacks cognition of these dharmas, then the sixth consciousness has no grasping at a self of persons—it has no mental activity of wanting to grasp, and even if it wanted to grasp, it would have no ability to do so.

The content of grasping at dharmas is far more extensive than the content of grasping at a self, and its meaning is deeper and harder to understand. When the mind consciousness is first born, it recognizes no dharmas at all, and thus cannot grasp. For example, for the mind consciousness to grasp at wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep, it must first recognize wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep and their importance before it can give rise to grasping and have the ability to grasp; if the mind consciousness does not know what wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep are, then there is no mental activity of grasping, and it is meaningless to speak of whether it grasps or not. For example, for the mind consciousness to grasp at power and status, or to grasp at a life of affluence, it must first understand what power and status are and how important they are, what their significance is, and know how to enjoy life; only then can it grasp these dharmas and give rise to mental activity of craving and attachment. If it is completely ignorant of these dharmas, then it has no way and no ability to grasp, and it is meaningless to speak of grasping or not grasping. Therefore, the newly born mind consciousness has no grasping at a self of dharmas and does not know how to grasp; the mind consciousness has no innate grasping of any kind with which it is born, including grasping at a self of persons and grasping at a self of dharmas.