The Mental Factor of Mental Engagement (Manaskāra) Is the First to Function at the Seed Stage

The tathāgatagarbha manifests and gives rise to the six sense-objects—form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas—at the supreme faculty in the back of the brain. The first five sense-objects must be manifested first; these first five sense-objects are coarse form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. A coarse set of five sense-objects is first manifested to be discerned by the first five consciousnesses. Beyond the coarse first five sense-objects, a subtle mental sense-object is then manifested, called form subsumed under the Dharmāyatana. When faculty and sense-object come into contact, the six consciousnesses arise; when faculty, sense-object, and consciousness further conjoin in contact, the six consciousnesses can discern the six sense-objects. Since coarse form, sound, smell, taste, and touch are manifested first, the five faculties certainly contact the five sense-objects first, and it is certainly the first five consciousnesses that arise first and discern the five sense-objects; only then, in the next moment, is the subtle mental sense-object manifested. When the manas contacts the mental sense-object, the mind consciousness can arise to discern it. The mind consciousness definitely arises after the first five consciousnesses. That is to say, in the first moment, the first five consciousnesses discern the coarse form, sound, smell, taste, and touch; in the second moment, the mind consciousness discerns the subtle form subsumed under the Dharmāyatana. In the first moment there are the five consciousnesses; in the second moment, the mind consciousness; in the third moment, the five consciousnesses and the mind consciousness operate in conjunction, discerning together; and thereafter, both consciousnesses always operate in conjunction, discerning the six sense-objects together, until the discernment of this dharma comes to an end.

As stated in the Cheng Weishi Lun (Compendium of the Establishment of Consciousness-Only), the initial mental-faculty of attention (manaskāra) of the six consciousnesses is not the attention that occurs after the six consciousnesses have arisen. The same applies to the seventh consciousness: the attention at the initial discernment of the six sense-objects must have begun first while still in the seed stage. After the attention in the seed stage, the seeds of consciousness are then brought forth to form consciousness, and the six consciousnesses begin to manifest. The arising of the seeds of consciousness must have a direction and a location, a target toward which to arise; they cannot arise randomly without aim. If that were the case, the manas's attention would serve no purpose. If the six consciousnesses were to discern whatever dharma they happened to encounter, the lives of sentient beings would surely be in utter chaos, and nothing could ever be accomplished. If there were no attention in the seed stage, not directed toward any particular dharma, where would the seeds of consciousness arise? The seeds of consciousness must have a direction and a location for their arising, and this direction and location must be determined in the seed stage. Therefore, the mental factor of attention is the first to function in the seed stage.