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Question: Since the manas (意根) possesses the nature of parikalpita-svabhāva (遍计所执性), grasping everywhere throughout the heavens and earth as the sovereign consciousness, it inevitably leads the six consciousnesses, which also grasp everywhere. Logically, they should also be of parikalpita-svabhāva. However, the six consciousnesses arise dependent on the ālaya-vijñāna (如来藏) as their condition, thus possessing the nature of paratantra-svabhāva (依他起性). Dependence on causes and conditions constitutes paratantra-svabhāva. Manas is also produced by the ālaya-vijñāna based on karmic seeds (业种), so logically it should also be paratantra-svabhāva. From the perspective of its actual arising, manas is paratantra-svabhāva; from the perspective of deluded appearances, it is parikalpita-svabhāva. Therefore, external sense objects (外尘) and internal sense objects (内尘), all consciousnesses, and karmic seeds are all produced by the ālaya-vijñāna and are all of paratantra-svabhāva. Only that which is not produced by the ālaya-vijñāna is parikalpita-svabhāva. Hence, should manas not be described as paratantra-svabhāva?

Answer: Manas existed from the very beginning, prior to beginningless kalpas (无始劫). At that time, the ālaya-vijñāna had not yet produced the karmic seeds created by the five aggregates (五阴造作的业种), yet manas still existed. The reason for its existence is that manas possesses ignorance, called beginningless ignorance (无始无明). The ignorance of a single thought (一念无明) is also beginningless and is likewise called beginningless ignorance. The conditions for the arising and existence of manas are extremely few; only the ālaya-vijñāna, ignorance, and the power of vows of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (诸佛菩萨的愿力) are required. Therefore, the paratantra-svabhāva nature of manas is not prominent.

The most essential characteristic of manas is its grasping nature. During the state of an ordinary being (凡夫), it grasps at every single dharma without exception; this is called the nature of parikalpita-svabhāva (遍计执性). It is precisely due to this grasping nature that the cycle of birth and death within the three realms (分段生死) and the subtle birth and death beyond the three realms (变易生死) have no end. The arising and existence of the six consciousnesses primarily depend on the parikalpita-svabhāva nature of manas. The conditions for the arising of the six consciousnesses are more numerous than those for manas; they can only arise when the causes and conditions are complete. Therefore, it is said that the six consciousnesses are of paratantra-svabhāva. Although the six consciousnesses also possess a grasping nature, this grasping nature is still influenced, conditioned, and regulated by manas. Compared to the grasping nature of manas, theirs is not prominent. Based on their primary characteristic, the six consciousnesses are paratantra-svabhāva; they cannot be said to be parikalpita-svabhāva because the six consciousnesses do not operate universally upon all dharmas; there are many areas they do not pervade. Consequently, they cannot be said to possess parikalpita-svabhāva.