Eight Deliberative Minds

The mind that conditions and deliberates (yuanlü xin) refers to the eight consciousnesses; all eight consciousnesses are minds that condition and deliberate. The eye consciousness conditions forms and has the nature of discrimination, knowing, and deliberation; the ear consciousness conditions sounds and has the nature of discrimination, knowing, and deliberation; the nose consciousness conditions scent-objects and has the nature of discrimination, knowing, and deliberation; the tongue consciousness conditions taste-objects and has the nature of discrimination, knowing, and deliberation; the body consciousness conditions touch-objects and has the nature of discrimination, knowing, and deliberation; the mind consciousness conditions mental objects (dharma-objects) and has the nature of discrimination, knowing, and deliberation; the manas also discerns mental objects and has the nature of discernment and deliberation. The eighth consciousness conditions the faculties, the body, the material world, and all dharmas; it knows the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses, knows the karmic seeds, and has the functioning of the mental factor of volition (cetanā); therefore it can both condition and deliberate.