user233: What is the origination of the mind-stream continuum? What are the basic elements that make up the mind-stream continuum?

user13163: Mind is a created thing, further conditioned by experience. The “mind stream” actually isn’t mind at all, since mind is completely dropped in Nibbana. The “unborn, deathless” is what, I think, you are referring to. The unborn is not a static “state”. It flows. In ignorance it flows, creating mind. That-which-flows identifies with mind, creating ego. That-which-flows does not at this point have awareness of itself. That awareness doesn’t happen until one achieves stream entry, the first insight into self-realization. The fruits of stream entry are well known. But when this stage is passed through, one has the “turning in consciousness” spoken of, i.e., full self-realization. I know I am somewhat off the point here, but bear with me, as I think this gives a fuller appreciation of the difference in mind and that-which-flows. When one awakens and reaches Nibbana, mind is dropped but not abandoned completely, else one could not come back and function. Rather, mind changes. A new awareness, of which that-which-flows has achieved, now occupies the mind. (This is obvious from the fact that the mind is created by that-which-flows.) Lastly, you might ask how the unborn flows when it is beyond both time and space. Think of the flow as movement of awareness. It’s not exactly that, but that is a good metaphor for it. Another way is to ask yourself if insight flows. YES! It does. That is what I mean.

user60: Gautama never described an origin. Whether existence had a beginning or end was never defined. Some traditions have taken to saying "beginningless." So if mindstreams have a beginning, the Buddha never said so. The asker was either told that the answer was irrelevant to liberation (hence not worth answering) or that the question did not apply.
The Pali canon relies on dependent origination for explaining where minds come from, but does not describe mindstreams themselves. Later commentators, such as Asanga and and Vasubandhu of the Yogacara school of thought would expound on additional layers of conciousness. From my experience, most talk of mindstreams take their source as the alaya-vijnana; itself a term that has been mentioned by some contemporary Theravadin monks (Ajahn Geoff and Ajahn Sujato).
I believe the orthodox Theravada response would be the parable of the poison arrow, and Mahayana responses would depend on the proclivities of the instructor. A Yogacarin would describe the features of the alaya-vijnana and a Madhyamika (in a Tibetan tradition) would conclude that mindstreams simply are (in conventional terms at least; illusory "like a city of gandharvas" in an ultimate sense).
There is no set "Buddhist" answer here, unfortunately.

233: <p>What is the origination of the mind-stream continuum? What are the basic elements that make up the mind-stream continuum?</p>
 13163: <p>Mind is a created thing, further conditioned by experience. The “mind stream” actually isn’t mind at all, since mind is completely dropped in Nibbana. The “unborn, deathless” is what, I think, you are referring to. The unborn is not a static “state”. It flows. In ignorance it flows, creating mind. That-which-flows identifies with mind, creating ego. That-which-flows does not at this point have awareness of itself. That awareness doesn’t happen until one achieves stream entry, the first insight into self-realization. The fruits of stream entry are well known. But when this stage is passed through, one has the “turning in consciousness” spoken of, i.e., full self-realization. I know I am somewhat off the point here, but bear with me, as I think this gives a fuller appreciation of the difference in mind and that-which-flows. When one awakens and reaches Nibbana, mind is dropped but not abandoned completely, else one could not come back and function. Rather, mind changes. A new awareness, of which that-which-flows has achieved, now occupies the mind. (This is obvious from the fact that the mind is created by that-which-flows.) Lastly, you might ask how the unborn flows when it is beyond both time and space. Think of the flow as movement of awareness. It’s not exactly that, but that is a good metaphor for it. Another way is to ask yourself if insight flows. YES! It does. That is what I mean.</p>
 60: <p>Gautama never described an origin. Whether existence had a beginning or end was never defined. Some traditions have taken to saying "beginningless." So <em>if</em> mindstreams have a beginning, the Buddha never said so. The asker was either told that the answer was irrelevant to liberation (hence not worth answering) or that the question did not apply.</p>

<p>The Pali canon relies on dependent origination for explaining where minds come from, but does not describe mindstreams themselves. Later commentators, such as Asanga and and Vasubandhu of the Yogacara school of thought would expound on additional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Consciousnesses" rel="nofollow">layers of conciousness</a>. From my experience, most talk of mindstreams take their source as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Consciousnesses#.C4.80layavij.C3.B1.C4.81na" rel="nofollow">alaya-vijnana</a>; itself a term that has been mentioned by some contemporary Theravadin monks (Ajahn Geoff and Ajahn Sujato).</p>

<p>I believe the orthodox Theravada response would be the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Poisoned_Arrow" rel="nofollow">parable of the poison arrow</a>, and Mahayana responses would depend on the proclivities of the instructor. A Yogacarin would describe the features of the alaya-vijnana and a Madhyamika (in a Tibetan tradition) would conclude that mindstreams simply <em>are</em> (in conventional terms at least; illusory "like a city of gandharvas" in an ultimate sense).</p>

<p>There is no set "Buddhist" answer here, unfortunately.</p>
