Does the Mind Consciousness Have an Innate Grasping at a Personal Self?

Does the sixth consciousness have innate grasping at a self of persons? If the sixth consciousness, like the seventh consciousness, already possessed the same cognition as in the previous life at the moment the five aggregates first arise, then of course it would also have the same grasping nature as in the previous life. If the sixth consciousness were born with innate grasping at a self of persons, without needing later teaching and conditioning, 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 elements (dhātus) and know them to be the self. Does the sixth consciousness, at the moment it first arises, know without being taught that the five aggregates exist? Is the sixth consciousness born knowing, without being taught or learning, that the eighteen elements exist? Does it recognize the functions and operations of the five aggregates—form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness? Does it recognize the functions and operations of the eighteen elements—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, sentient beings, and a life span? If the sixth consciousness had cognition of all the dharmas of the five aggregates and the eighteen elements, then it would have 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 far deeper and harder to understand. When the mind consciousness has just been born, it recognizes no dharmas at all, and therefore cannot grasp anything. For example, for the mind consciousness to grasp wealth, sensuality, fame, food, and sleep, it must first recognize wealth, sensuality, 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, sensuality, fame, food, and sleep are, then there is no mental activity of grasping, and it is meaningless to speak of grasping or not grasping. For example, for the mind consciousness to grasp power and status, or to grasp an affluent life, it must first understand what power and status are and how important they are, what their significance is, and how to enjoy life; only then can it grasp these dharmas and give rise to mental activity of craving and attachment. If it is entirely ignorant of these dharmas, then it has no way and no ability to grasp them, 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, inborn grasping of any kind, including grasping at a self of persons and grasping at a self of dharmas.