八个兄弟共一胎，一个伶俐一个呆。五个门前做买卖，一个在家把帐开。
这是唯识宗里一个非常著名古老的偈语，说明了八识的运作特征。明白了这首偈语，也就多少了解了佛教关于心理意识的秘密。所以记住它，自然会有一辈子的受用。
Eight brothers live under one roof,
one is sharp, one is dim.
five brothers do business out front,
the last one keeps tabs on everything.
Who are they?
"Eight brothers under one roof” all add up to one person.
Sounds strange, right?
"Under one roof” means they all live in one house.
Can you guess what the “house” is?
That’s right, it’s your body!
The eight “brothers” (we could also say sisters!) stand for the different parts of what we callour "Great Mind.“
Your mind is much more than you realize and that’s why we call it the Great Mind.
Every one of us relies on eight forms of consciousnessto live a normal life.
So the Great Mind can be divided into eight parts, the eight brothers.
The eight forms of consciousness work in unison all the time, like an experienced dance team, who work within their own scope of duties.
Let’s explore and find out who they are!
Brothers One to Five “doing business out front“ are
the eye-consciousness,
the ear-consciousness,
the nose-consciousness,
the tongue-consciousness,
and the body-consciousness.
These are our senses
--sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch--
and they interact with the outside world like busy bees, constantly giving us information about the world around us when we're awake.
The one who understands and analyses all the information supplied by these five brothers is Brother Six, the mental consciousness.
He keeps a close watch, weighing and considering everything the first five brothers do, like a sharp manager (or a helicopter mom!).
He's what we think of as our mind.
Day to day,
the mental consciousness tells us he is our real, ultimate Self.
But if he were really in control, why would he let himself experience the suffering of birth, sickness, aging, and death again and again as we go through lifetimes
one after the other?
Shouldn't he be able to put a stop to all this and free himself from all the difficulty and discomfort?
But he can't.
The mental consciousness is fickle; his likes and dislikes can flip in an instant.
He gets bored easily and likes to stay entertained.
The mental consciousness
Ceases in a dreamless sleep, so obviously it is not something eternal and imperishable.
Some people teach that the mental consciousness will go on to future lives.
They mistake it for the real Self and they want to believe that this "self-knowing self“ will last forever but it doesn't.
The final two of the eight brothers manage things behind the scenes and we are totally unaware of them.
One of them, Brother Seven, is called "manas" or the "seventh consciousness.“
He is very quick and responsive. Like a top-notch butler, he takes care of everything in the house and makes decisions whenever necessary while staying invisible.
The other unseen brother, Brother Eight, is called the Buddha-Essence.
His formal name is “tathāgatagarbha.” (See if you can say that out loud!)
Sometimes he's also called the "eighth consciousness“ or the "foundational consciousness.“
Brother Eight seems dim and unresponsive but is extremely important.
We’ll talk more about him later.
Day to day,
it is actually manas--Brother Seven--who decides when to close up shop and tells Brothers One to Six to close all the doors and
stop receiving guests so we can fall asleep.
However, neither Brother Seven nor Brother Eightrests after we fall asleep.
In fact,they never take even a moment's break--EVER.
Since he is awake all the time, manas is the one who makes the final decision about everything we do.
For example, when a person is sound asleep, if manas senses any noticeable changein the environment, he wakes up Brother Six--the mental consciousness--right away to find out what is going on.
He also believes that he himself is the real “Self”.
However, among the eight brothers, only Brother Eight, the Buddha-Essence (the tathāgatagarbha), lives forever and is unaffected by old age, death, or any kind of suffering.
Like the air we breathe, the Buddha-Essence is formless and invisible yet it is the central core of our existence.
While manas isn't the real Self of a being, he does one very important thing.
When a person's body is no longer usable, manas will decide to move to another one.
Since manas believes the Buddha-Essence is part of himself, he drags it with him through many lifetimes in different bodies.
When the manas drags the Buddha-Essence along with it through endless rounds of rebirth, the first five brothers--the consciousnesses of the senses--are unable to follow them.
As we all know, a dead person has no feelings and perceptions, which means that our mental consciousness, the sixth brother, also ceases at death and does not go on to the next life.
While we are alive, the Buddha-Essence keeps records of everything we do in each life, in the way a black box in an aircraft stores all the transmitted data.
Applying the law of cause and effect --also called karma--to our conduct, the Buddha-Essence enables the creation of a new body of an animal, a human, a celestial being, or whatever form we deserve based on what we have done in our previous lives.
Obviously, the “records“ that the Buddha-Essence of each person contains are unique to that person, since no two beings have ever done exactly the same things or had the same experiences.
Think of how even identical twins are not totally alike in their personalities, hobbies, capabilities and appearances.
This is also why some people display particular gifts, some times at very young ages.
The famous Chinese poet Li Bai was proficient in poetry at the age of ten.
The great European composer Beethoven held concerts in Köln, Germany at the age of eight.
They displayed such brilliance because the seeds of their gifts had been stored in their own Buddha-Essence and brought forward from their previous lives.
These are examples where very good things came from previous lives.
Not only is every sentient being--people, animals, birds, insects, etc.--created by its own Buddha-Essence, but everything in the physical world --galaxies, planets, mountains, and rivers--is created collectively by the Buddha-Essences of
karmically-related sentient beings working together.
The Buddha-Essence is indeed the most amazing yet invisible magician.
It is our real Self.
The Buddha-Essence itself isn‘t changed by the karmic records.
Like a cup that can hold different drinks, it's the one thing that stays the same, regardless of its contents, life after life.
A Buddha is someone omniscient of all the knowledge stored in his Buddha-Essence, has perfected the merits and virtues, and possesses the ability to utilize all the features the Buddha-Essence has to offer.
But the Buddha-Essence is formless and shapeless, so how can we find it?
Think of how our eyes cannot see micro-organisms because they are very small or distant galaxies because they are very large.
We need the help of microscopes and telescopes.
Similarly, to “see” the Buddha-Essence, we need to have a special tool, the “eye of wisdom.”
So how can we open and use our wisdom-eye?
In everyday life, we should treat people with kindness and respect, cultivate tolerance and compassion within ourselves, respect the Three Jewels, and accept the Buddha’s teachings with faith.
If you can do all these consistently, your wisdom-eye will soon awaken.
By cultivating the Buddha Dharma with diligence, your wisdom-eye will open when all the conditions are right, and you will be able to “see” the Buddha-Essence, the invisible magician in you.
You may wonder:
Why do we need to see the “invisible magician”?
Isn't it enough just to be a good kid?
Being a good kid Is of course the right thing to do.
But even a good kid has all kinds of records from past lives stored in the Buddha-Essence, which will result in endless rounds of birth, life, and death–your karma.
Imagine yourself stuck on an uncontrollable Ferris wheel that cannot be stopped, one that brings you through many kinds of environments.
It may be easy to be a virtuous person for one life, but is it possible to stick to the right course over trillions of lifetimes in different situations?
All it takes is one bad friend or one slip, and you’ll have to live with the painful consequences of your misconduct for a very, very long time.
In that case, would it still be easy to be a good kid?
What keeps this Ferris wheel of rebirth going are the mistaken beliefs of the mental consciousness and the manas that they are the real and eternal Self.
They think being a good person can halt the powerful karmic force that drives the Ferris wheel.
Instead, we must seek the Buddha-Essence because it is the only mind entity that is everlasting and unchanging over time.
By learning the correct Buddha Dharma, we can change the karmic forces stored in the Buddha-Essence by correcting and purifying manas from the effects of any bad things we've done.
As we change the good and bad karmic forces with pure practices and enlightening insights, the Ferris wheel will begin to function properly and come under our control.
When it does, we can move toward becoming a Buddha.
Potentially, every one of us can become a Buddha.
To be more precise, any sentient being can become a Buddha.
So we are all equal in terms of our chance of attaining Buddhahood.
When we become a Buddha --like Buddha Shakyamuni, Buddha Amitabha, or any other Buddhas-- we will acquire omniscient wisdom.
As a Buddha, we will each have the power to choose our rebirth in any world and become any kind of sentient being, so that we can teach people anywhere about the wisdom of liberation from the uncontrolled cycle of rebirth.
A Buddha is omniscient, as he knows everything about the universe and the planet we live on, as well as everything we have done over the countless lives we have lived.
As we know, everything we do is recorded in the Buddha-Essence and a Buddha has the wisdom to access the information stored in it, like you can find the information on your computer.
To become a Buddha you have to perfect your merits and wisdom, as well as assist countless other sentient beings on their way toward Buddhahood.
If you can cultivate the Buddha Dharma and learn all about the Eight Consciousnesses in each and every life you live, then you can gradually replace negative habit energy, such as craving, egoism, arrogance, and aversion, with the seeds of pure actions.
As long as you continue to cultivate the Buddha Dharma and follow the noble path of bodhisattvas, you will eventually attain Buddhahood.
When you become a Buddha, you will be able to help benefit countless other people and liberate them from the suffering that comes with birth, aging, sickness, and death.
As well, you can bring them never-ending wisdom that leads to true liberation and ultimate happiness.
Would you want to be able to do that one day?
If you really want to become a Buddha, you can make the following vow every day:
May I acquire the unsurpassed merits and wisdom of a Buddha, so that I can help liberate all sentient beings from endless rounds of rebirth.
If you really want to become a Buddha, you can make the following vow every day: To achieve this, I sincerely vow to cultivate the Buddha Dharma and learn all there is to know about the Buddha-Essence.
八个兄弟共一胎，一个伶俐一个呆！
五个门前作买卖，一个家里把帐开。
八兄弟是谁呢？
八个兄弟住在同一个屋檐下。
听起来很奇怪吧？在同一个屋檐下：
其实就是指八个兄弟同住在一个房子里。猜猜看这房子指的是什么呢？
没错！就是我们的身体！
因为祂们之间的运作，远远超乎我们所能了解或想象！每个人都依着这八个心识过着日常的生活。这伟大的心分为八个部分，也就是八个兄弟。这八个心识不停地配合无间，就像一个专业的舞蹈团，每位舞者都跳着自己所属的舞步。
我们每个人都有八个心识，犹如亲兄弟形影不离，合作无间。
有两位在幕后不为人知的兄弟：
伶俐的“末那识”像个幕后大总管，看顾一家子大大小小的事情，随时裁量决定。
另一个似乎呆呆的第八识“如来藏”，我们最后再详细说祂。
在幕前风光得意的“眼识、耳识、鼻识、舌识、身识”
五个小兄弟，每天在门口接触外界的人、事、地、物，忙碌得像是做生意的伙计一样。
陪伴在伙计身旁，紧盯着每件买卖作帐，斤斤计较个不停的，就是八面玲珑的“意识”大掌柜。
末那识做主决定一切的事，从来不知道如来藏的存在，误以为自己是老大----真“我”。
意识心总认为自己是老大----真“我”，然而意识“我”领受着生老病死的痛苦，如果这“我”是真实的，为何要让自己受苦呢？是否至少能够不变老，不死，也不受痛苦？
然而，八兄弟中，唯有如来藏才能真实的一直存在，不变老，也不会死，也不会苦，祂才可以称作是真我。如来藏就像我们呼吸的空气一样，没有形状，却与我们十分密切。祂从不躲藏，一直与其他七个兄弟长相左右。每一个有情都是由各自的如来藏所出生，甚至于银河星系、山河大地，也是由大家的如来藏共同感应而变生。
祂是位神奇的“无形魔术师”！
末那识总是沉醉于存在感，当色身不能用时，
末那识就决定换个能用的。
末那识误以为自己是老大，总是带着如来藏去轮回。
如来藏把我们每一世做过的善恶业统统收存起来，犹如飞航数据记录器“黑盒子”，
再依照这些记录，成就我们来世变成猫、狗、人、天人等等，
这就是宇宙中的因缘果报，以及轮回的公平法则。
末那识带着如来藏去继续轮回时，前六识无法跟去。
人死后，这一世的意识绝对无法去到下一世。意识心从小到大一直在改变，喜欢与讨厌的心念都在随时改变。当沉睡无梦时，意识就消失了！这意识的心念，不会永恒不变。
若坚持意识可以去到未来世的人，是由于贪爱意识的觉知性，错认祂是真实“我”。
每个人如来藏“黑盒子”里的记录，也各自不同。
即便是长得非常相像的双胞胎，个性、能力、长相也都不同。
中国诗人李白十岁精通诗书，德国音乐家贝多芬八岁在科隆举行演奏会，
他们的才能种子都是从过去世带来的，老早就存在如来藏里了。
如来藏无形无相，谁能看见祂呢？
我们的肉眼看不见微小的细菌与遥远的星河，要藉由显微镜与望远镜，才能看到这些事物。神奇的如来藏，也要藉由佛法的智慧之眼，才能看得见。
想知道如何获得智慧之眼吗？
日常生活好好待人接物，培养宽容心与慈悲心，尊敬三宝，相信佛陀，开启智慧之眼的机缘就到了！精进学习正确的佛法，假以时日，因缘条件成熟，就能有慧眼，看见自己的如来藏“无形魔术师”！
是否有疑问：
为何要看到“无形魔术师”？只要努力做个好孩子，不就好了吗？
表面上是如此。但随着如来藏的业力牵引，生了死、死了生，像个无法掌控的摩天轮，永无止尽的持续轮转！
一辈子当好人可能很容易，那一万亿兆辈子呢？只要一次遇到恶友而失足，未来就得受恶果报之苦，如何再当好孩子呢？
落入轮回摩天轮的关键，在于末那识与意识都错认了真实“我”；若仅仅做好事与做好人，并不能停止业力摩天轮，必须靠佛法的解脱智慧，才能脱离轮回。
唯有如来藏，才具备我们所追求永恒、真实的体性。
学习真实佛法，让末那识转变清净，如来藏黑盒子的记录才会转变，转善恶业力成为清净愿力，让摩天轮能依着清净愿力而运转。
我们每个人将来都可以成佛，大地的任何一位众生都可以成佛，大家成佛的机会，都是平等的。
可以像释迦牟尼佛、阿弥陀佛……任何一尊佛，智慧无边，依着愿力，能够扮演任何的角色，帮助世界上的一切众生，让大家得到真实的解脱智慧。
佛对宇宙的形成、对我们生活的地球、银河系的来龙去脉，无所不知。
佛知道我们过往无量世的一切，因为这些都记录在自己的如来藏里，而佛有解读任何一个如来藏的智慧。
当然，“成佛”必须经历三大阿僧祇劫的时间，帮助数不尽的有情众生，
一起迈向成佛之道，才能够具足圆满的福德和智慧！
生生世世学佛，熏闻八识正理，将原本如来藏储存的贪心、愚昧、骄慢……种种染污的种子，汰换成清净的种子，持续进步，就会一直走在佛法的智慧大道上，最后一定会成佛。
佛陀的智慧，能够帮助许许多多的人离开生老病死的痛苦，让大家都能获得真正的幸福与泉涌的智慧，您觉得欢喜吗？
请记得每天都发愿：
我要学佛，找到如来藏哟！
我未来要像佛一样，福慧两足尊！
我以后也要成佛，来帮助一切的众生！