How the Five Aggregates Work

Take drinking tea as an example to illustrate. Drinking tea is a process of the integrated, harmonious functioning of the five aggregates; the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness, as well as the eighteen elements of the six faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses, all participate in it, with faculty, object, and consciousness coming into contact and operating together in harmony. The one who directs it is the manas, which is responsible for coordinating and regulating the activities of contact, feeling, perception, and deliberation of the six consciousnesses with the five faculties and six sense objects. The most nimble and swift is the manas; very often the mind consciousness finishes the task without even noticing anything, while the five consciousnesses cooperate as if without any thought, completely faithful to the manas's intentions, and at times the mind consciousness simply cannot fathom it.

The entire process of drinking tea is just like this: if the tea is too hot, when it spills on the hand one will jerk and fling it away instantly, with no time for the mind consciousness to discern and analyze it. When the manas wants to hold the teacup and wants to drink the tea, faculty and object will come into contact, generating the six consciousnesses to cooperate and operate, carrying out the manas's instructions, and only then can the tea be drunk. As for the specific operations of the six faculties and the operations of the six consciousnesses, you must observe and match them up yourself; especially the details require you to settle your mind and observe them yourself. You need to clarify the concepts of the five aggregates and understand clearly the functions and roles of the eighteen elements.