The Three Natures of the Eight Consciousnesses

The three natures of the eight consciousnesses: the six consciousnesses have the nature of dependent arising (paratantra-svabhāva), the seventh consciousness has the nature of imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva), and the tathāgatagarbha has the nature of perfect accomplished reality (pariniṣpanna-svabhāva). The first six consciousnesses are generated by the tathāgatagarbha in dependence upon various conditions; without conditions, the six consciousnesses do not arise. The conditions differ—some require nine conditions, some eight, some seven, and so on—therefore the six consciousnesses are of dependent arising. They manifest in dependence upon the tathāgatagarbha and the manas, in dependence upon karmic seeds, in dependence upon the six sense objects, in dependence upon the six sense faculties, and so forth. Therefore the six consciousnesses lack self-mastery (avaśatā); they are illusory, empty, and not-self.

The nature of imputed nature refers to the seventh consciousness, the manas. He universally deliberates upon and grasps at all dharmas, taking all dharmas as self and belonging to self. He grasps the perceiving-aspect of the tathāgatagarbha as his own perceiving-aspect, and grasps the perceiving-aspect of the six consciousnesses as his own perceiving-aspect, appropriating the merits of the tathāgatagarbha and the six consciousnesses as his own, clinging greedily without letting go; thus birth-and-death is never brought to an end. Therefore, only by transforming the manas' nature of imputed nature can one ultimately attain liberation and attain self-mastery. As long as fundamental ignorance is not extinguished, the seventh consciousness itself is not extinguished; and fundamental ignorance has existed since beginningless kalpas. Therefore the existence of the seventh consciousness has no beginning; it is not of dependent arising, but of imputed nature, because ignorance universally grasps at all dharmas. The very nature of the seventh consciousness, the manas, is that of imputed nature: it grasps at the self of persons, at the self of dharmas, at the myriad dharmas. Because of this grasping nature, it cannot attain liberation from birth-and-death, cannot attain nirvāṇa, and cannot attain great self-mastery.

The nature of perfect accomplished reality refers to the tathāgatagarbha. He can perfectly accomplish all dharmas, both mundane and supramundane; all dharmas are born from and accomplished by Him. With Him there are all dharmas; without Him there are no dharmas at all. The tathāgatagarbha's nature of perfect accomplished reality can perfectly accomplish all dharmas in accordance with karmic seeds and karmic conditions, whether wholesome dharmas or unwholesome dharmas. Therefore it is said that apart from the tathāgatagarbha, all other dharmas are conditioned and subject to arising and ceasing.