Marks (lakṣaṇa), Names (nāma), Own-Nature (svabhāva), Correct Wisdom (samyagjñāna), and Suchness (tathatā)

All conditioned dharmas are illusory appearances projected by the tathāgatagarbha. In order to communicate and express themselves fully, humans have established corresponding names for these dharma-marks. Even without names, discrimination is still possible; it is only that it becomes inconvenient for sentient beings to communicate verbally with one another, and they cannot make clear to each other what they are referring to. Animals never establish names and marks for conditioned dharmas, yet they discriminate all the same; they simply cannot communicate with one another—they can only understand tacitly, without being able to convey it in words.

Through studying the Dharma and cultivating practice, by engaging in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and rational deliberation (manana) upon marks and names, one will attain wisdom of suchness (yathābhūta-jñāna), discriminating and clearly knowing the actual substance of marks and names as they truly are, deeply aware of the illusory and unreal nature of conditioned dharmas, so that the mind is no longer stirred or turned by conditioned dharmas, remaining immovable in suchness just like true suchness (tathatā). In this way, the mind of the seven consciousnesses will draw closer and closer to true suchness, becoming more and more like true suchness; in the end, when the mind is as pure as true suchness, one becomes a Buddha, and the practice of the path is complete.