The discrimination of Tathāgatagarbha is different from that of the seven consciousnesses.

All dharmas are the object-aspect (nimitta) of the tathāgatagarbha—marks that are born of and discriminated by the tathāgatagarbha. This discrimination is different from the discrimination of the seven consciousnesses; the content and nature of the two kinds of discrimination differ, and the two must not be conflated.

Even the slightest change that occurs in the body is brought about by the tathāgatagarbha employing the seeds of the four great elements. Changes in the body in turn influence changes in mental activities; it is the tathāgatagarbha that, in accordance with conditions both internal and external, alters the physical body and mental activities, and at times it alters them in accordance with karmic seeds. The feelings of the body consciousness are related to temperature, warmth, vital energy and blood, and the nervous system; the feelings of the eye consciousness are related to brightness and color. Dazzling is due to brightness, not to heat.