Six consciousnesses
six consciousnesses
[六識] (Jpn roku-shiki )
Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought. Six kinds of perception that occur when the six sense organs make contact with their respective objects. The Hinayana teachings explain only those six consciousnesses and regard the sixth consciousness as the basis of all mental functions. The Consciousness-Only school of Mahayana postulated a seventh and eighth consciousness, and the Summary of the Mahayana (Chin Shelun; Jpn Shoron) school, the Flower Garland (Hua-yen; Kegon) school, and the T'ient'ai school added a ninth consciousness. The seventh, eighth, and ninth consciousnesses are called mano -consciousness, alaya -consciousness, and amala -consciousness, respectively.
See also nine consciousnesses.
