The Object-Aspect, the Perceiving-Aspect, and the Manas's Continual Scrutiny and Deliberation

Question: Is the object-aspect the result of the perceiving-aspect? The object-aspect of the eye consciousness is the visible forms and the like that are seen; then what is the object-aspect of the manas? What are the mental activities and dharma-marks of the manas' continual scrutiny and deliberation? How do the manas' mental activities and dharma-marks connect with the results of its continual scrutiny and deliberation? What is the relationship between the mode of activity and the object-aspect?

Answer: The object-aspect is the object perceived by the perceiving-aspect; it is not the result of the perceiving-aspect. Even when the perceiving-aspect does not appear, the object-aspect still exists; it simply does not manifest in the conscious mind.

The result of the perceiving-aspect is self-cognition (svasaṃvitti): having already perceived the object-aspect, this is called self-cognition.

The object-aspects of the manas are very extensive. Whatever objects the eighth consciousness can perceive, the manas can also perceive, except for the seeds whose conditions have not yet ripened within the eighth consciousness and the seven intrinsically existing great seeds. The manas is called the consciousness of imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) because it can perceive all dharmas, and only thereby can it universally deliberate upon and grasp them, silently containing everything; because it can perceive all dharmas, it can silently contain all dharmas. This includes the object-aspects of the six sense objects that the six consciousnesses can perceive, the object-aspects of the six sense objects that the six consciousnesses cannot perceive, as well as object-aspects that do not belong to the six sense objects, and object-aspects of the past and future. As long as the eighth consciousness can perceive and manifest them, the manas can perceive them.

When the manas engages in continual scrutiny and deliberation, the most essential factor is the continuous present operation of the mental factor of volition (cetanā). Toward the dharmas being deliberated upon, there is continuous mental engagement (manaskāra), contact (sparśa), feeling (vedanā), and perception (saṃjñā); the mental factor of mindfulness (smṛti) also operates continuously; there is the guiding function of the mental factor of desire (chanda); perhaps the mental factors of samādhi and prajñā may appear, and it is also possible that wholesome and unwholesome mental factors may manifest. The dharma-marks of the manas' mental activities are precisely the modes of activity of the operating mental factors.

Only when these mental factors of the manas operate together in harmony can there be continual scrutiny and deliberation, and only then can a result of deliberation be produced.

The modes of activity of the operating conscious mind can be observed and known by the mind consciousness, and therefore they are the object-aspects of the mind consciousness. The mode of activity is itself an object-aspect; whatever can be observed by the conscious mind is an object-aspect. The eight consciousnesses themselves can also be observed by the mind consciousness, and therefore the eight consciousnesses are also object-aspects of the mind consciousness.

If all eight consciousnesses can introspectively observe themselves and their own mental factors, then the eight consciousnesses and their mental factors are also object-aspects of themselves.