How Does Consciousness Know Past Life Events and Their Details?

The mind faculty (manas) is also a consciousness, possessing the functional attribute of discernment. It can discern all that it has experienced, and its level of detail is not inferior to that of the mind consciousness (manovijñāna). Alternatively, with the assistance of the mind consciousness, it can become omniscient. However, after knowing something, it is not easy for it to express clearly like the mind consciousness, because it does not correspond to the sounds of language and words that sentient beings can easily understand and relate to. Consequently, the expression of the mind faculty makes it very difficult for sentient beings, who are accustomed to language and words, to comprehend. The mind consciousness of sentient beings finds it arduous to decode the code of the mind faculty and understand its expression. This is only possible if the wisdom of the mind consciousness is very high, or if it has always cooperated closely with the mind faculty and has a deep understanding of its thoughts. In particular, for bodhisattvas at the first stage (bhūmi) and above, who have already transformed consciousness into wisdom, the mind consciousness possesses greater wisdom and has the ability to directly observe the mind faculty, thereby obtaining an immense amount of information from it.

Since the mind consciousness has not personally experienced past-life events, it does not know them without supernormal powers. However, under the subtle influence of the mind faculty, and through its unique mode of expression distinct from that of the mind consciousness, it can come to know some past-life events, even down to the details. These details are suggested and conveyed by the mind faculty. In dreams or meditative states, the mind faculty displays past-life events through solitary images (pratibhāsa) such as dreamscapes or meditative visions, which the solitary mind consciousness can then understand. In the case of possessing supernormal powers, the mind consciousness and the mind faculty communicate and transmit information without obstruction, with no secrets or barriers between them.