Visualization Requires Solitary Mental Consciousness with Powerful Samadhi

The form (object) discerned by the five sense-consciousnesses arising simultaneously is the form included in the dharma-ayatana (mental objects). It coexists with the five sense-objects (forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects) and cannot be separated from them. Only when this mental object (dharma-dhātu) combines with the five sense-objects do they constitute the complete set of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects. Otherwise, the five sense-objects cannot manifest, the five sense-consciousnesses cannot arise, and the five sense-consciousnesses arising simultaneously cannot discern the mental objects.

While the five sense-consciousnesses arising simultaneously discern the form included in the dharma-ayatana, the independent consciousness (mano-vijñāna) may separately discern other contents or reflect upon the discerned content and state of the five sense-consciousnesses arising simultaneously.

The five sense-objects and the mental objects appear simultaneously; the mental objects are not subsequently produced or manifested. For example, the reflections and images within the eye are mental objects; they exist even before being transmitted to the subtle sense faculty (indriya) at the back of the brain. Therefore, it is said that external mental objects exist upon the external five sense-objects and cannot be separated from the external five sense-objects even for an instant.

The five sense-consciousnesses cannot operate alone to perform the function of discernment; they must operate together with the five sense-consciousnesses arising simultaneously to discern the six objects (the five sense-objects plus mental objects). Only the seeds of the five sense-consciousnesses arise first, and in less than a moment, the seeds of consciousness arise, almost simultaneously. Then the five sense-consciousnesses and consciousness operate together to discern the six objects. Therefore, it is said that the five universal mental factors (sparśa, vedanā, saṃjñā, cetanā, vijñāna) associated with the five sense-consciousnesses cannot operate separately without consciousness, and when the five universal mental factors of consciousness operate, the five universal mental factors of the five sense-consciousnesses operate simultaneously.

The form included in the dharma-ayatana belongs to material form (rūpa). All material forms are objects of direct perception (directly perceived reality, ālambana-pratyakṣa) and do not change according to the mind-consciousness. For example, a person's appearance does not undergo any change at all, regardless of the other's mind-consciousness. Skin color belongs to apparent form (varṇa-rūpa), which is the content discerned by the eye-consciousness; it does not change according to alterations in the other's eye-consciousness. Height, weight, etc., as well as shape-form (saṃsthāna-rūpa), expressive form (vijñapti-rūpa), and unmanifested form (avijñapti-rūpa) are also like this. Height and weight are shape-forms, which are forms included in the dharma-ayatana, discerned by the five sense-consciousnesses arising simultaneously. They are also objects of direct perception and do not change due to mistaken interpretations by consciousness.

Individuals with strong meditative concentration (samādhi) can, while the five sense-consciousnesses arising simultaneously are discerning the form included in the dharma-ayatana, cause the independent consciousness to generate other conceptions and alter the form included in the dharma-ayatana.

Visualization requires very strong meditative concentration. It primarily relies on the discerning function of the independent consciousness through non-valid cognition (non-standard perception, apramāṇa) and inference (anumāna), as the meditative concentration of the five sense-consciousnesses arising simultaneously is not sufficiently strong. Meditative concentration mainly refers to the powerful functioning of the independent consciousness, creating something out of nothing (utpāda) and transforming existence into non-existence (nirodha). When one visualizes the sun in the mind, the setting sun appears before one, and the sun visualization is accomplished. When one visualizes white bones in the mind, the white bones appear before one, and the white bone visualization is accomplished.