Does the Eighth Consciousness Have Seeing, Hearing, Sensing, and Knowing?

The eighth consciousness does not require us to establish it; it inherently exists. Even if we attempt to overthrow it, it remains indestructible. No one, by any power, can annihilate it. It is the truest and most correct eye. Although it can perceive all dharmas, it perceives nothing; although it can know all dharmas, it knows nothing; although it can hear all dharmas, it hears nothing; although it can be aware of all dharmas, it is aware of nothing. It neither perceives nor fails to perceive, neither knows nor fails to know, neither hears nor fails to hear, neither is aware nor fails to be aware.

The eighth consciousness possesses no knowledge, no cognition, and no perceiving nature because it does not correspond to the realms of the six dusts and cannot make specific discriminations. It also lacks worldly names, words, and concepts. Therefore, it does not perceive the realms of the six dusts, does not know the realms of the six dusts, and does not give rise to the function of perception. Yet, the eighth consciousness is also omniscient, all-perceiving, all-hearing, and all-aware. Why is this? Because the eighth consciousness contains the seed of seeing, which can give rise to the function of seeing within the eighth consciousness. Once the eighth consciousness possesses the function of seeing, it can perceive all dharmas. Only after perceiving all dharmas can it give birth to all dharmas of the world and give birth to the perceiving nature of the seven consciousnesses. The eighth consciousness can discriminate the karmic seeds. After discriminating the karmic seeds, it must then manifest all dharmas based on these karmic seeds. If it did not know all dharmas, it would be unable to manifest all dharmas. In reality, precisely because it knows all dharmas, it can manifest everything. Its way of knowing is primarily through knowing the karmic seeds.