The Objects Cognized by the Eight Consciousnesses

The sixth consciousness cannot perceive real-form objects (bhūta-lakṣaṇa); these belong to the five sense-object realms, which only the five sense consciousnesses can perceive. The dharmas that the five sense consciousnesses can perceive are the fewest and simplest; the dharmas that the mind consciousness can perceive are more numerous than those the five sense consciousnesses can perceive; the dharmas that the manas can perceive are more numerous than those the mind consciousness can perceive; and the eighth consciousness can perceive all dharmas, more numerous than those the manas can perceive.

Because the eighth consciousness can transform all dharmas, it can perceive all dharmas. If a dharma could not be perceived by the eighth consciousness, it would not receive the eighth consciousness's upholding and could not exist. The eighth consciousness, relying on the first-layer dharma—the object of essential nature—manifests the second-layer dharma, the true derived-reflection object, which the manas can perceive. The true derived-reflection object includes the five sense-object realms and the mental-object realm. These belong to the external six sense-object realms.

The eighth consciousness, relying on the second-layer dharma perceived by the manas, once again manifests the third layer of dharmas, which includes real-form objects and false derived-reflection objects. The first five consciousnesses perceive the five sense objects of the real-form objects, and the mental consciousness accompanying the five sense consciousnesses (pañcavijñāna-sahagata-manovijñāna) perceives the inner mental objects of the false derived-reflection objects. The manas can perceive both of these object realms, and therefore it can act as the master, governing the operation of the six consciousnesses. The eighth consciousness, relying on the third-layer false derived-reflection objects, once again manifests the fourth layer of Image-Only Objects, which the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta) can perceive, and the manas can also perceive.

Why does the eighth consciousness manifest the dharmas of each layer in sequence? Because the manas needs them; the manas and the mind consciousness both need the Image-Only Objects. If the manas does not need the dharmas of a certain layer, the eighth consciousness would have no need to manifest them, and the dharmas of the subsequent layers would even less appear.

The first layer of dharmas is the most real; the second layer is next in realness; the third layer is next after that; and the fourth layer is the most false, the third layer next in falseness, and the second layer next after that. The first layer of dharmas is also illusory; since all dharmas are born and manifested by the eighth consciousness, they are all illusory.