Whether the Mental Factors of the Eighth Consciousness Still Exist and Function in Nirvāṇa Without Remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa)

If an arhat could still emerge from nirvāṇa without remainder, there must be some karmic seed that has matured; the eighth consciousness, operating in accordance with that karmic seed, gives birth to the manas, and then the manas together with the eighth consciousness enters the womb to produce the five aggregates and the eighteen realms. When a karmic seed matures, the eighth consciousness must be able to know it; and when a karmic seed has not matured, the eighth consciousness should likewise be able to know it. So what is this knowing of the eighth consciousness?

When the eighth consciousness operates in accordance with karmic seeds, it is the activity of the mental factor of volition (cetanā). Before the mental factor of volition runs, there is the operation of the mental factor of perception (saṃjñā); the mental factor of perception is discerning and grasping characteristics—discerning the karmic seeds and grasping the characteristic of whether or not the karmic seeds have matured. Before the mental factor of perception is the mental factor of feeling (vedanā), which receives and accepts the karmic seeds. Before the mental factor of feeling is the contact (sparśa) of the mental factor of contact with the karmic seeds, and before contact there must be mental engagement (manaskāra) directed toward the karmic seeds. Within nirvāṇa without remainder, the eighth consciousness has nothing else to do—this is the only thing it can do.

Moreover, for the eighth consciousness to carry out this one task, its own continued existence and unceasing operation are required to ensure that this task proceeds. The existence and unceasing operation of the eighth consciousness itself depend on the continuous flowing forth of its own seeds of consciousness, forming an unbroken stream of eighth-consciousness cognition. The five universal mental factors (pañca-sarvatraga) accompany the eighth consciousness in its unceasing operation—this is what is meant by the eighth consciousness being continuous and unbroken, neither arising nor ceasing.