What Is the Numinous Knowing Mind Free from Thought?

Being free of thoughts means being apart from thoughts, having no thoughts. Luminous knowing means keen, acute knowing. When there are no thoughts yet knowing remains keen and acute—among the seven consciousnesses, which one is capable of this?

When the mind consciousness has no thoughts, it still knows form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma. At that time, does the eye consciousness have knowing—can it know red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple? It has knowing. Does the ear consciousness have knowing—knowing the coarse and heavy marks and the vibrating marks of sounds? It has knowing. Does the nose consciousness have knowing—knowing the coarse and pungent marks of scent objects? It has knowing. Does the tongue consciousness have knowing—knowing the coarse marks of taste objects? It has knowing. Does the body consciousness have knowing—knowing the coarse marks of tactile objects? It has knowing. Does the mind consciousness have knowing—knowing the dharma objects upon the five sense objects? It has knowing. Does the seventh consciousness have knowing—knowing all the realms of the six sense objects? It has knowing. Does the eighth consciousness have knowing—knowing the mental activities of the manas, knowing karmic seeds, knowing the material world (the vessel world)? It has knowing. It is evident that although the mind consciousness is without thoughts, this does not affect the knowing nature of any consciousness. The knowing of the manas governs the six consciousnesses, and the knowing of the eighth consciousness governs all dharmas.

By the same reasoning, when the mind consciousness is neither thinking of good nor thinking of evil, which consciousnesses are operating? All eight consciousnesses are operating. Then how does one distinguish, at that time, between the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses and the true mind of the eighth consciousness? How does one realize the eighth consciousness without mistaking the minds of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses for the eighth consciousness?

Some people, within a certain dharma of the operation of the five aggregates, claim that it is the eighth consciousness operating. If that is so, then from now on one should extinguish the six consciousnesses and let the eighth consciousness operate by itself, extinguish the seven consciousnesses and let the eighth consciousness operate by itself—and see how the eighth consciousness could still operate after being apart from the seven consciousnesses. Clearly this is impossible. Therefore, one must engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) upon the five aggregates, negate and eliminate the view that the five aggregates are the self, and not take the functions of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses as real or as the self; only then will one recognize the unborn and unceasing true mind, the eighth consciousness.

The enlightenment of people nowadays basically takes the result of the combined operation of all eight consciousnesses and pins it all on the single eighth consciousness, obliterating the functions and roles of the seven consciousnesses. If the functions and roles of the seven consciousnesses could indeed be obliterated, that would of course be wonderful—then everywhere and at all times there would be only the functions and roles of the eighth consciousness, with no need for the seven consciousnesses; all dharmas would be the sole functions of the eighth consciousness, all would be the eighth consciousness, and one would then have realized the one true dharma realm, not far from becoming a Buddha. But if the functions of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are not present, then at that time who is it that knows all dharmas are the eighth consciousness? If the eighth consciousness could still function on its own apart from the seven consciousnesses, then in nirvāṇa without remainder (anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa) the eighth consciousness would still be able to give rise to all dharmas—would that still be a state of nirvāṇa?