What Exactly Is the Thought-Transcending Knowing Mind?

The eighth consciousness pervades all times, all places, all locations, all realms, and all dharmas. "Pervading all times" means the eighth consciousness exists moment by moment, never departing from sentient beings, never leaving the seventh consciousness (manas), nor ever separating from the five aggregates. "Pervading all places" means that sentient beings within the nine realms of the three spheres all possess the eighth consciousness; every sentient being has the eighth consciousness, and each being dwelling within the nine realms of the three spheres possesses it. Even upon transcending the three spheres and entering nirvana without remainder, the eighth consciousness still exists, only the sentient being itself is no longer present.

"Pervading all locations" means the eighth consciousness permeates the six sense faculties and also pervades the six sense objects. Whenever a sentient being's six sense faculties contact the six sense objects, the existence and manifestation of the eighth consciousness are present. "Pervading all realms" means the eighth consciousness is present upon the six sense faculties, upon the six sense objects, and upon the six consciousnesses as well. "Pervading all dharmas" means that as long as a dharma exists, whether it can be cognized or not, it is sustained by the eighth consciousness; whether it is a material dharma or a mental dharma, it is upheld by the eighth consciousness; whether it is a conditioned dharma or an unconditioned dharma, it is sustained by the eighth consciousness; as long as any dharma exists, all phenomena, affairs, and principles are upheld by the eighth consciousness.

Many people do not understand whether the thought-free awareness mind is the sixth consciousness or the eighth consciousness. Now we shall analyze this thought-free awareness mind. "Thought-free" means there are currently no thoughts or delusions. "Awareness" means lucid knowing, knowing that one is thought-free, knowing that one has no thoughts, knowing that one is temporarily free from delusions and thinking. In the thought-free state, one can even perceive other states. So how many consciousnesses are present in this thought-free state? Since the eighth consciousness pervades all times, it certainly exists at this moment; otherwise, the five aggregates would not exist, the seven consciousnesses would not exist, and the thought-free state itself would not occur.

Is the seventh consciousness present at this time? Certainly. If the seventh consciousness were absent, sentient beings would enter nirvana without remainder, and the state of thought-free awareness could not possibly occur. Is the sixth consciousness present here? Certainly, except in five circumstances where the sixth consciousness ceases: during dreamless sleep, unconsciousness, death, the state of no-thought concentration, and the state of extinction concentration. Since thought-free awareness does not fall into these five categories, it indicates the sixth consciousness is also present. Moreover, the ability to know the state of being without thoughts in the dharmas (mental objects) shows that the knowing mind present during thought-free awareness is precisely the sixth consciousness. As for whether the first five consciousnesses are present during thought-free awareness, as long as one can perceive the existence of the five sense objects (form, sound, smell, taste, touch), it is the knowing of the five consciousnesses.

Since during thought-free awareness, at least the eighth consciousness, the seventh consciousness, and the sixth consciousness are present, if someone claims to attain enlightenment at this moment, which consciousness are they actually realizing? Herein lies a crucial difference: realizing correctly means realizing the eighth consciousness; realizing incorrectly means mistaking it for the sixth consciousness. The seventh consciousness is generally difficult for ordinary people to realize, and the eighth consciousness is also difficult to realize; this requires special conditions. These special conditions are the six perfections (pāramitās) taught by the Buddha. Without fulfilling the conditions of the six perfections, it is impossible to realize the eighth consciousness, impossible to illuminate the mind and become a true meaning great bodhisattva, impossible to transcend the state of ordinary beings, and thus impossible to ensure one never falls into the three evil paths in the future.

If a person's practice lacks sufficient merit, lacks moral discipline, has an insufficiently developed mind, lacks patience, is not diligent in cultivating generosity, moral discipline, patience, meditative concentration, and wisdom, lacks even the preliminary meditative concentration (the concentration before reaching the dhyānas), lacks sufficient knowledge and views of the Buddha Dharma, and does not understand the nature of the eighth consciousness, then it is clear that such a person absolutely cannot realize the eighth consciousness. If someone believes they have attained realization at this time, they must carefully examine which consciousness they have actually realized. Only after thoroughly studying and understanding the nature of all eight consciousnesses can one judge one's own realization or that of others, and thus know what has truly been realized.