The Knowing and Hearing Natures of Each Consciousness

Question: When recollecting the Buddha in daily practice, besides knowing the Buddha's name, there is also a knowing that knows one is reciting the Buddha's name—what is that knowing?

When contemplating what the Buddha meant by "sound" and "hearing," one can clearly realize what the "hearing" that hears is, yet there is still a "knowing" that knows the "hearing"—what is this "knowing"?

Answer: Knowing the Buddha's name and the sound of reciting the Buddha's name is the knowing of the mind consciousness, and also the knowing of the ear consciousness. Reciting the Buddha's name is the mind consciousness reciting the Buddha's name, and the knowing that knows one is reciting the Buddha's name is still the knowing of the mind consciousness; it is the mind consciousness's introspection, the functional activity of the mind consciousness's self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana).

As for the hearing that hears sounds, it is primarily the hearing nature of the mind consciousness, assisted by the hearing nature of the ear consciousness. The knowing that knows the hearing of sounds is the knowing of the mind consciousness; it is the introspective function of the mind consciousness, the functional activity of the mind consciousness's self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana).

Of course, when hearing sounds, there are four consciousnesses involved—not only the mind consciousness and ear consciousness, but also the seventh consciousness and the eighth consciousness. All hearing nature is primarily that of the eighth consciousness, but on the surface it is the hearing of the mind consciousness and ear consciousness. The hearing nature of the eighth consciousness is extremely hidden and difficult to know; the hearing nature of the manas, the seventh consciousness, is likewise hidden and difficult to know. Ordinary people cannot observe these two kinds of hearing nature; the hearing nature of the mind consciousness is comparatively easier to observe.