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The Functions of Store Consciousness
*The store consciousness (alaya) operates together with the seven universal mental formations: contact, attention, feeling, perception, volition, concentration (one-pointedness), and vitality. A key mental formation is volition (cetanā) – the will, the aspiration to accomplish something – not just a fleeting thought but a “true intention,” a persistent motivation that nourishes our vitality. When true intention is lacking, a person loses their vitality; on the other hand, even a negative aspiration such as the desire for revenge can generate a powerful energy. Recognizing our own true intention – for example, the Bodhi mind in Prince Siddhartha before his renunciation – is the first step to living a meaningful life, transforming suffering, and nurturing the joy of sharing with the sangha, family, and loved ones.
*The store consciousness also has the function of storing seeds, learning (imprinting), maturating (ripening), and self-healing, similar to a hard drive or a pot of beans being simmered: it preserves, arranges, and “cooks” experiences, helping body and mind to heal themselves. Thanks to store consciousness, the main manifestation (body, six sense organs) and the supporting conditions (environment) arise; it drives retribution – the continuous arising and passing away in every instant and over a lifetime. Impermanence exists on two levels: in each instant (every moment of arising and passing away) and over a lifetime (the stages of human life), creating the unceasing flow of birth and death. Understanding and living deeply in each present moment, allowing the old to “die” so the new can be “born,” is the practice of Applied Buddhism, transforming the ideal into each breath and step of daily life.