The Three Natures: Parikalpita, Paratantra, and Pariniṣpanna

The first seven consciousnesses are the perceiving aspect, the conscious mind that perceives the six dusts (objects of sense), and are that which perceives. The perceived aspect is the six dusts—form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas (mental objects)—which are the perceivable appearances and also that which is perceived. The seventh consciousness is the mental faculty (manas), the ego-clinging consciousness. It clings to the five aggregates as self or belonging to self, clings to the eighteen realms as self or belonging to self, clings to the perceiving aspect of the first six consciousnesses as self or belonging to self, and clings to the functions of the eighth consciousness as self or belonging to self. Whatever it perceives, it clings to; it is the consciousness that universally conceptualizes and clings, hence briefly called the parikalpita-svabhāva (universally conceptualized clinging consciousness). The first six consciousnesses are paratantra-svabhāva (dependent arising nature), arising based on the contact of the six sense faculties with the six dusts, and arising dependent on the Tathāgatagarbha. Once arisen, they proceed to differentiate the six dusts.

The mental faculty then clings to the differentiating minds of the six consciousnesses as the function of self or belonging to self, and clings to the six dusts as the appearance of self or belonging to self. When the mental faculty does not cling or pay attention, even though the six sense faculties and the six dusts come into contact, no conscious mind is produced, and thus there is no conscious mind to differentiate; or the differentiation by the conscious mind is extremely slight, merely knowing and then stopping, without proceeding further. This is the state of no-mind (acittaka), where seeing is like not seeing, hearing is like not hearing, smelling is like not smelling—there is little sensation of the six dusts. For example, when eating without tasting the flavor, the mind is not on the things being contacted.

The mental faculty’s wisdom for specific discrimination of the six dusts’ realms is relatively inferior; its differentiating nature is weak. It primarily relies on the first six consciousnesses to differentiate, then reports the results back to itself. Based on the differentiated results from the six consciousnesses, it adopts countermeasures and takes action. Whatever it wants to do, it must have the first six consciousnesses do it; it itself can do nothing. Like a CEO, it gives commands and issues orders, and the first six consciousnesses must execute them.

The Tathāgatagarbha, however, is like the president, monitoring all mental activities and actions of the first seven consciousnesses. The seeds of the seven consciousnesses all come from It, the seeds of the six dusts all come from It, and all the seeds of good and evil karma come from It. It is like a great warehouse, storing everything the sentient beings should use, and also storing the seeds for sentient beings to attain Buddhahood; hence It is called the Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-Womb, Buddha-Embryo). This is a general name, applicable from the state of ordinary beings to the Buddha stage. According to the different levels and stages of sentient beings’ practice, different names are given, but It is the same mind-essence.

The nature of the Tathāgatagarbha is pariniṣpanna-svabhāva (perfectly accomplished reality nature). It is able to perfectly accomplish all dharmas. All bodily, verbal, and mental actions rely on It to be accomplished; all activities of the five aggregates rely on It to be accomplished; all causes, conditions, and karmic results rely on It to be accomplished; the establishment of the world relies on It to be accomplished. The so-called perfection means It never violates cause and effect, faithfully implements the law of cause and effect, and accomplishes every dharma without error.

When It actualizes cause and effect, It is not commanded or restricted, nor does It have Its own propositions or will. It does not act as a sovereign; It is a mind completely following conditions. The Tathāgatagarbha in sentient beings before Buddhahood contains ignorance and defilements; these ignorance and defilements are all the karmic seeds of the seven consciousnesses. The Tathāgatagarbha Itself inherently has no ignorance or defilement. When the ignorance of the seven consciousnesses is completely extinguished and they are all transformed into wisdom-consciousnesses, the Tathāgatagarbha can then be called the Amalavijñāna (Undefiled Consciousness), the Ādarśa-jñāna (Great Mirror Wisdom), Tathatā (Suchness), and the Prajñāpāramitā-vimala-vijñāna (Purity of the Wisdom of the Perfection of Wisdom).