..續本文上一頁s, who never stop having a coarse and subtle sense of “Me” and “Mine.”

　　The eighth consciousness, the all-ground consciousness, is mind”s ever-present clear aspect. If one looks at the mind”s clear aspect, its essence is emptiness – it can”t be found or proven to exist anywhere. However, we do not recognize it as being empty of own existence. And so we see it as a self and think other things arise from what we mistakenly think is one”s true self. This is due to the stable, all-ground consciousness that has the aspect of ignorance.

　　Which consciousness is used when doing tranquillity meditation

　　 The sixth mental consciousness. A short summary: There are the five sense consciousnesses, sixth is the mental consciousness, seventh is the afflicted consciousness, and eighth is the all-ground. The sixth mental consciousness is said to be a conceptual consciousness, i.e., it is a consciousness that has a lot of different thoughts about what is perceived by the first five. It generates many afflicted thoughts, many indifferent or neutral thoughts, and many virtuous thoughts, too. These various thoughts arise all the time and mix and combine thoughts that relate to the three times: There are thoughts about the future, about the past, and about the present. For instance, we think about what we saw with our eyes yesterday, we think about what we are going to see tomorrow, and we think about what we are seeing today. We mix all these thoughts into one with the sixth consciousness and see everything as present. The sixth mental consciousness combines all three times and doesn”t really distinguish between the past, present, and future.

　　Many different thoughts arise in the mental consciousness. In order to pacify thoughts in the sixth consciousness, one needs to let the mind rest peacefully within the expanse of the non-conceptual eighth consciousness. The eighth consciousness is like a big ocean, and the thoughts arising in the sixth consciousness are like waves. Sometimes thoughts are very powerful, like huge waves. These waves of thoughts cause one to accumulate karma. One gently lets the powerful thoughts and afflictions subside into the ocean that is the eighth consciousness, the alaya, rests at ease, and then thoughts are pacified. In doing that while resting in ease in the expanse of the alaya, one has deep holding of tranquillity meditation.

　　As to deep holding of tranquillity meditation, many thoughts arise in one”s mental consciousness. Sometimes they are joyful and happy thoughts and sometimes they are thoughts of displeasure or depression. But, whatever sort of thoughts they are, one needs to take control and have mastery over them with mindfulness and awareness. If one manages, any thoughts will be pacified into the expanse of the all-ground consciousness. This means to say that the all-ground consciousness has the clear aspect. It has the clear aspect of knowing. It can know all sorts of things, and yet it does not give rise to coarse thoughts of pleasure, displeasure, or anything like that. There is just the clear, the knowing aspect. Occasionally thoughts pop up in the sixth consciousness. One needs to be able to settle these thoughts down. One needs to have good mindfulness and awareness in order to do so, though.

　　When we talk about mindfulness and awareness, we are talking about two different mental factors that resemble thoughts or are a way of thinking. First there is mindfulness. Another translation for mindfulness is “recalling,” i.e., remembering what one is doing. Mindfulness here is remembering, “I don”t want to lose myself to all my thoughts,” or “I don”t want to have thoughts,” or “I want to be meditating now,” or “I am meditating now. I shouldn”t be moved by all these thoughts.” If one has mindfulness, one recal…

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