The mind perceives and is aware. In this lesson, Gelek Rimpoche explains how the mental faculties help the mind to discriminate, recognize, ascertain and understand. The mind has six primary consciousnesses, corresponding to the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch) and the primary mental consciousness.

The mental faculties are divided into fifty-one specific functions. The mental faculties have different functions and capacities which Rimpoche addresses over the course of this series.