Enlightenment in the Yogācāra School

The most fitting way to search for the tathāgatagarbha is like searching for the wind—discovering its traces through its functions. The tathāgatagarbha is likewise discovered through its traces. Although the tathāgatagarbha is traceless and formless, He hides nowhere in any realm; His shadow is everywhere, yet He Himself is never seen. It is not easy to discover the traces of the tathāgatagarbha through the functions of the four great seeds. Realizing the tathāgatagarbha is always accomplished by observing the operating characteristics of the tathāgatagarbha through the function of the seed of consciousness—this is why the doctrine of Consciousness-Only exists. Thus, awakening occurs upon the six consciousnesses; for those of the sharpest faculties, awakening occurs upon the seventh consciousness, the manas. This is the deepest awakening, the most ultimate awakening, the most fundamental awakening, the most thorough awakening—the awakening of the Consciousness-Only school, not the coarse and shallow awakening of the Chan school.