Store Consciousness - Verse Ten

Unobstructed and indeterminate,
store consciousness is continuously flowing and changing.
At the same time, it is endowed
with all five universal mental formations.

The store consciousness is capable of attaining clarity and is not hidden, hence it is referred to as unobstructed. It contains both wholesome and unwholesome seeds and is indeterminate (neither wholesome nor unwholesome) in itself. A farmer may like rainfall, a cricket fan may not. Store consciousness is like the rain, unobstructed and indeterminate in itself.

The store consciousness, like a river, is continuously flowing and changing. It functions even when are asleep and changes like the water in the river.

A mental formation is the manifestation of a seed from the store consciousness. There are fifty-one mental formations - five universal, five particular, eleven wholesome, twenty-six unwholesome and four indeterminate. All the eight consciousnesses are endowed with the five universal mental formations - contact, feeling, attention, perception and volition.

Our ears come into 'contact' with a sound. Consciousness arises. A 'feeling' arises (in this case perhaps not so pleasant). It draws our 'attention'. 'Perception' arises that it is an alarm leading to the 'volition' of we determining it is a weekday and deciding to get out of bed.

The five mental formations are also unobstructed and indeterminate. Our mind consciousness may perceive incorrectly as we constantly dwell in the mode of representations and mere images. The source of information of the store consciousness is always direct perception. No inference. Direct perception is source of information in the mode of things-in-themselves.

A seed of a mental formation and the mental formation co-exist in the store consciousness. The seed produces the effect (mental formation) which also produces a seed. So if we are angry, the seed of anger has manifested but that does not mean we will never be angry again, as anger produces another seed that, unless transformed or remains dormant, upon manifestation will lead to the mental formation anger. While producing the effect the seed also bears fruit. So anger will lead to unpleasantness.

Much like how a mango seed manifests as a mango tree after a period of time when all conditions have been fulfilled, bears mangoes. These mangoes also contain seeds in them.

Since the nature of the store consciousness in itself is indeterminate and changing, it can be transformed. Inducing transformation in the store consciousness is known as transformation at the base. This transformation is brought about by transforming our habits.

(Based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.)

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