How Does the Tathāgatagarbha Know When the Faculties and Sense-Objects Come into Contact?

Question: How does the tathāgatagarbha know that the faculties and sense-objects come into contact?

Answer: The faculties—whether the outer five faculties, the inner five faculties, or the manas—are all personally manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, and the tathāgatagarbha must constantly be mindful of and uphold them. Therefore, the tathāgatagarbha knows the general information of the five faculties, and it also knows the operational state of the manas.

As for the sense-objects—whether the outer six sense-objects or the inner six sense-objects—they are all manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. The outer six sense-objects belong to substantial material form, and the tathāgatagarbha is mindful of them in every instant; it knows all of their changes. The inner six sense-objects are personally transmitted by the tathāgatagarbha into the supreme faculties, and they cannot be separated from the inner six sense-objects even for a moment. Therefore, the tathāgatagarbha certainly knows where the inner six sense-objects are transmitted to; they will not be transmitted to anywhere other than the supreme faculties.

In this way, for the inner six faculties, the tathāgatagarbha is mindful of them, contacts them, and knows them; for the inner six sense-objects, the tathāgatagarbha is also mindful of them, contacts them, and knows them. At the place where the faculties and sense-objects come into contact, the tathāgatagarbha naturally is also mindful of it, contacts it, and knows it. This is not a difficult matter. Then, in accordance with the manas' mental engagement (manaskāra) and decision, the tathāgatagarbha will give birth to the six consciousnesses. When the six consciousnesses contact the inner six sense-objects within the supreme faculties, they can discern the dharmas of the six sense-objects.