Why Is the Conscious Mind Not in the Inside, Outside, or Middle of the Physical Body?

Question: If the conscious mind is not inside, outside, or in between the physical body, why is it still said that the six consciousnesses arise at the place where the supreme faculty (indriya) in the brain contacts the sense objects?

For sentient beings who possess a supreme faculty (indriya), the prerequisite and necessary condition for the arising of the six consciousnesses is the contact between faculty and sense object; only after that do the six consciousnesses arise. The contact between faculty and sense object includes the external five faculties contacting the external five sense objects, the manas contacting external mental sense objects, as well as the internal five faculties contacting the internal five sense objects, and the manas contacting internal mental sense objects. However, the external five sense objects and mental sense objects cannot be contacted by the six consciousnesses, because at that point the six consciousnesses do not yet exist—there are only the seventh and eighth consciousnesses. Therefore, the contact between external faculties and sense objects does not give rise to the six consciousnesses. Only the contact between internal faculties and sense objects can give rise to the six consciousnesses, and what the six consciousnesses discern are the six sense objects within the supreme faculty (indriya) of the brain. What the manas discerns includes not only internal sense objects but also external ones. This external sense object is not the original substance-realm (essence-object) initially generated by the tathāgatagarbha, but rather the sense-object realm transformed and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha after the substance-realm, which the manas can discern. Only when this external sense object enters the supreme faculty (indriya) and becomes an internal sense object—if the manas wishes to discern it in detail, or wishes to engage in some activity—will the six consciousnesses arise and discern; otherwise, even though the internal six sense objects exist and contact the six faculties, the six consciousnesses will not arise and discern.

Although the six consciousnesses arise at the supreme faculty (indriya) of the brain, the six consciousnesses are formless and without marks; they are not inside, outside, or in between the supreme faculty (indriya). Having a location is equivalent to having no location. Otherwise, if one sliced the supreme faculty (indriya) of the brain piece by piece, one would be able to find the six consciousnesses; yet in reality, even if the brain were smashed to pieces, the six consciousnesses could not be seen. The same is true of the manas: it is formless and without marks, contacts all sense objects, and discerns both internal and external sense objects, yet it is not upon the internal or external sense objects. The "contact" of faculty contacting sense object is not contact in the physical, material sense. The conscious mind is also not matter. Contact between matter and non-matter, or between non-matter and non-matter, is something we ordinary people cannot yet understand or imagine; it is often mistaken for the kind of contact that occurs between material things, but in fact it is not. Therefore, the conscious mind is not inside, outside, or in between the physical body.

If one can understand that kind of contact which is of a non-material nature, then it becomes easy to understand the contact between the tathāgatagarbha and all dharmas, and one will know that the tathāgatagarbha is both upon all dharmas and yet not inside, outside, or in between all dharmas. If one can set aside that kind of contact belonging to worldly phenomena, then understanding and realizing the eight consciousnesses will not be too difficult.