The Manifestations of the Eight Consciousnesses When Facing the Six Sense Objects

The six sense-object realms are manifested by the eighth consciousness. The four great seeds of the eighth consciousness are constantly arising and returning, moment by moment, upon the six sense-object realms. The eighth consciousness, moment by moment, is grasping and sustaining the six sense objects; they cannot be separated even for an instant. With such intimate contact, how could the eighth consciousness fail to discern the six sense-object realms? If the eighth consciousness did not discern the six sense-object realms, how could it change them moment by moment? How could it allow the six sense objects to continuously manifest all kinds of changes?

The eighth consciousness discerns the six sense-object realms just as a computer discerns programs, just as a robot discerns instructions—discerning without discriminating. To discern is to know; to discriminate is to know the specifics of how things are. The eighth consciousness discerns the six sense-object realms, yet it does not know east, west, south, north, or center; it does not know whether the six sense objects are wholesome or unwholesome, beautiful or ugly, right or wrong; it does not know what the six sense objects even are. Therefore, facing the six sense objects, the eighth consciousness remains in suchness, immovable—it does not give rise to mental activity or thoughts, has no emotions, no feeling, no mental formations, and does not create karmic formations. Having neither karmic formations nor retributive results. Because the eighth consciousness is utterly without sentiment, like a piece of wood, it abides in neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā). And because it abides in neutral feeling, its mind-ground is pure, without desire, without seeking, without action, without any vows or volitional activities—this is why it is said to be an unconditioned dharma.

When the seven consciousnesses face the six sense-object realms, how do they behave? They grasp, crave, feel aversion, harbor hatred, and so on. From how the seven consciousnesses behave when facing the six sense-object realms, we know that in many cases it is not neutral feeling: emotions are intense and abnormal, and the mind is agitated like a monkey. Why is this so? The seven consciousnesses know what is wholesome and unwholesome, right and wrong; they know what brings benefit or harm, gain or loss to themselves; they know profit and detriment. The seven consciousnesses have a self within the mind, and they inevitably view things from the standpoint of self, inevitably protect their own interests, and inevitably have thoughts and emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. When facing sense objects, if the mind is not calm, then it is not neutral feeling. If it were neutral feeling, the state of mind would be peaceful, the mental formations would be unconditioned, and it would not matter how the sense objects were—everything would be indifferent.