Vignana-Matra-Siddhi-Castra
Vignana-Matra-Siddhi-Castra
Teaches the Eight Consciousnesses of sentient beings.
Sight Consciousness (eyes)
Hearing Consciousness (ears)
Smell Consciousness (nose)
Taste Consciousness (tongue)
Touch Consciousness (body)
Discrimination and Comprehension Consciousness (mind)
Mana Consciousness.
This acts like the collection station for the first 6 Consciousnesses. Each one of these consciousnesses has its own nature, spirit, or a way of being. It is able to function as a separate identity before collected in the eighth consciousness.
Alaya Consciousness
This is like a storage space receiving all information collected in the Mana Consciousness. When a sentient being dies, the first seven consciousness die with it, but the Alaya Consciousness carries on. It is a person’s “soul” or “spirit”. It is the supreme ruler of one’s existence. Ultimately, it is this Alaya Consciousness that determines where one will gain rebirth in the six realms of existence. It is the King, the creator of a person’s existence, as it bases its creation strictly on the karma carried out by the first six consciousnesses. Every action, no matter how insignificant is recorded in this Alaya Consciousness. Thus, it is not Buddha who determines one's existence, but it is one’s Alaya Consciousness. In short, it is one’s actions in this life and all the lives lived in the past that shapes one's existence.
