How Does the Nature of Seeing, Hearing, Awareness, and Knowing of Sentient Beings Arise?

The eighth consciousness originally contains the seven intrinsically existing great seeds, which constantly abide within the eighth consciousness; one of them is the seed of the consciousness element. When the eighth consciousness transmits the seeds of consciousness, the first seven consciousnesses are produced. After the tathāgatagarbha outputs the seeds of consciousness for the first seven consciousnesses, the first seven consciousnesses begin to operate. Among them, the operation of the seventh consciousness (manas) takes place in the form of mental factors (caittas). Among the mental factors of the seventh consciousness, there are the five universal mental factors and the five object-specific mental factors; in the mental factors of the seventh consciousness of ordinary beings, there are also afflictive mental factors such as greed, hatred, delusion, and other defiled qualities.

When the seventh consciousness manifests, it operates in the form of mental factors. The prerequisite for its manifestation is that the eighth consciousness must transmit seeds of consciousness to Him, and the eighth consciousness transmits seeds of consciousness to the seventh consciousness moment by moment—in the snap of a finger, it transmits eighty-one thousand arising-and-ceasing seeds (the number is merely a metaphor, indicating that the quantity of seeds output in a single instant is extremely large). One seed arises and then ceases; another seed arises in its place, and then ceases again. Arising and ceasing, ceasing and arising again, this forms the continuous, unbroken operation of the seventh consciousness since beginningless kalpas. The operation of the seventh consciousness takes place in the form of mental factors, and the five universal mental factors constantly accompany the seventh consciousness in its continuous functioning.

If the seventh consciousness wishes to discern the six sense objects, the volition mental factor arises, and the eighth consciousness cooperates with Him to give birth to the six consciousnesses. The eye faculty turns toward material form; the ear faculty turns toward sounds; the nose faculty turns toward scents; the tongue faculty turns toward tastes; the body faculty turns toward tangibles; and the manas turns toward mental objects (dharmas). As soon as the six faculties and the six sense objects make contact and correspond one to another, the eighth consciousness immediately transmits the seeds of consciousness of the six consciousnesses. The eye consciousness then begins to move; the seeds of the eye consciousness arise one by one, extremely rapidly, arising moment by moment—arising and then ceasing, arising and then ceasing again—thus forming the discerning nature of the eye consciousness over a period of time. The discerning nature of the eye consciousness also operates in the form of mental factors, mainly operating through the five universal mental factors. Of course, the eye consciousness also has some wholesome mental factors, some afflictive mental factors, and sometimes the five object-specific mental factors also manifest. The other consciousnesses are likewise.

When the eighth consciousness outputs seeds of consciousness for the sixth consciousness, the sixth consciousness is born. The seeds of consciousness are transmitted moment by moment, forming the continuous operation of the conscious mind, just as water flowing out drop by drop forms a stream. The conscious mind, like a flowing stream, thus has momentum and can perform functions such as recognition, discernment, thinking, and judgment. If the sixth consciousness must discern many objects of dharma, its power of discrimination will inevitably weaken, and it cannot discern mental objects very clearly; the power of wisdom cannot arise—this is the result of the manas grasping everywhere. But if the manas reduces its grasping and lessens its mental engagement, allowing the mind consciousness to discern only one mental object, the sixth consciousness can make detailed discrimination on a single dharma. The eighth consciousness then directs the seeds of the conscious mind only toward this one mental object. In this way, the discriminating power of the conscious mind becomes strong, discernment becomes clear, the power of wisdom becomes strong, and wisdom can be born.

Then, these seeds of consciousness return one by one to the eighth consciousness, are generated out from the eighth consciousness again, and return again—like a circulating water pump, continuously cycling and operating. In this way, the sixth consciousness is constantly discriminating. The operation of the sixth consciousness also takes place in the form of mental factors: the five universal mental factors certainly accompany the conscious mind in its operation; there are also the other five object-specific mental factors, wholesome and afflictive mental factors, and mental factors that are neither wholesome nor unwholesome—these mental factors sometimes all accompany the sixth consciousness in its functioning. Through the continuous operation of these mental factors, the seven consciousnesses can discern all realms of the world; thus we have the nature of seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing, and can discern all dharmas of this world.