Where is the pain from foot pain generated? Does the foot hurt there?

The sensation of pain arises in the supreme truth faculty; the dust faculty in the foot does not feel pain. What perceives pain are the body consciousness and mind consciousness, and since body consciousness and mind consciousness arise in the supreme truth faculty, they perceive it there. This is because the internal tangible dust appears within the supreme truth faculty, so body consciousness and mind consciousness must arise and perceive the tangible dust within the supreme truth faculty.

All sensations in every part of the body arise in the supreme truth faculty. Even if a toe is injured, the pain is felt in the supreme truth faculty located in the hindbrain. The dust faculty of the foot experiences no pain. This is because the dust faculty can only be contacted by Tathagatagarbha, which consciousness cannot reach. Tathagatagarbha has no perceptual function regarding tangible dust; the dust faculty itself is dust and lacks perception. Only consciousness possesses perception, specifically body consciousness and mind consciousness perceiving touch.

Tathagatagarbha contacts tangible dust through the dust faculty, absorbs the particles of the four great elements, and transmits them via the transmission nerves of the body faculty to the supreme truth faculty in the hindbrain. When the faculty and dust contact each other, Tathagatagarbha gives rise to body consciousness and mind consciousness. The faculty, dust, and consciousness then combine to produce contact, enabling the two consciousnesses to perceive pain. The tangible dust from the foot is transmitted via the nervous system to the supreme truth faculty, where body consciousness and mind consciousness arise, enabling perception. There are no conscious minds perceiving tangible dust at the dust faculty itself.

Whether pain can be felt depends on whether the body's transmission nervous system is functioning normally. If it is abnormal, consciousness cannot arise, and the pain sensation cannot be perceived, yet the problem with the foot remains real. A person with an issue in the hindbrain may feel nothing even if their foot is severed, but the severing is still a fact. Wherever the injury occurs, if anesthesia is applied, pain will not be felt. Once the anesthesia wears off and tangible dust is again transmitted to the supreme truth faculty, body consciousness and mind consciousness arise, and pain can be felt again.

If the supreme truth faculty in the hindbrain is impaired, one becomes unaware of bodily pain. This is undesirable because the intermediate transmission nerves are damaged and interrupted. If one cannot feel the pain of a bone fracture, it may lead to paralysis; if one cannot feel the pain of cancer, it may result in waiting for death.

Only Tathagatagarbha can perceive the faculties and the body. Manas-dhatu, preceding body consciousness and mind consciousness, can also rely on Tathagatagarbha to perceive the faculties and the body. The painful tangible dust arises in the supreme truth faculty in the hindbrain and contacts the supreme truth faculty. Tathagatagarbha gives rise to body consciousness and mind consciousness, which perceive the painful tangible dust within the supreme truth faculty; they cannot perceive the tangible dust at the toe. So, who perceives the tangible dust at the toe? It is contacted by Tathagatagarbha, but Tathagatagarbha does not discriminate and does not know whether the toe hurts or not.

When asleep at night, all six consciousnesses cease. If the foot suddenly hurts, one can be awakened by the pain. Why can one wake up? Because the body faculty contacts the painful tangible dust, and the problem becomes somewhat serious. Manas-dhatu perceives this and causes mind consciousness to awaken to perceive the situation. Tathagatagarbha then gives rise to mind consciousness and body consciousness, and the person wakes up. The tangible dust at the foot's location is the external manifesting part; when transmitted to the supreme truth faculty, it becomes the internal manifesting part. To clearly distinguish who contacts the external manifesting part and who contacts the internal manifesting part allows the functions of each consciousness to be clarified. Tathagatagarbha relies on the dust faculties to perceive the external manifesting parts of the six dusts and then displays the internal manifesting parts of the six dusts at the supreme truth faculty. The external manifesting part is certainly perceived by Tathagatagarbha, as it possesses the manifesting function.

Seeing one's own toe bleeding—where does this phenomenon of bleeding occur? It is the internal form dust within the supreme truth faculty perceived by eye consciousness and mind consciousness. The flowing blood is form dust. Tathagatagarbha contacts the form dust (the blood) through the eye dust faculty, transmits it via the eye's transmission nerves to the supreme truth faculty, where faculty and dust contact each other, giving rise to eye consciousness and mind consciousness, which then perceive the phenomenon of bleeding.