The Arising and Cessation of Self-Clinging and Dharma-Clinging

In the immeasurable past, only the manas and the Tathagatagarbha existed; there were no six consciousnesses, no five aggregates body, and no world. At that time, the manas already possessed ignorance (avidyā). This ignorance carried no karmic seeds, for there were no six consciousnesses to create karma on behalf of the manas. Therefore, the manas is said to be non-defined (avyākṛta); it alone cannot create karma. It requires the tools for karma creation to act. The manas, pulling the strings from behind the curtain, merely holds the baton and directs, while the actual front-line actions of conflict and creation are handed over to the six consciousnesses. Superficially, it appears as though the six consciousnesses create karma, but in reality, it is the manas that commands from the seat of authority. Those who do not understand the truth mistakenly attribute the merits and faults to the six consciousnesses.

Both self-attachment (ātma-grāha) and attachment to dharmas (dharma-grāha) also belong to ignorance. They carry no karmic seeds and have existed since the immeasurable past; they were not created through karmic actions. However, the defilements acquired by the consciousness in the postnatal environment can also increase the self-attachment and attachment to dharmas within the manas, thereby strengthening the manas's self-clinging. This ignorance can only be gradually eradicated through cultivation of the path. Because ignorance has existed since the immeasurable past, karmic actions are created without cause or reason due to this ignorance. Without ignorance, there would be no inclination to create karmic actions, except for the pure great vows of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

The karmic seeds formed through actions created due to ignorance are called karma arising from ignorance (avidyā-karma). This karma arising from ignorance can, in turn, defile and strengthen the ignorance within the manas. These karmic actions born of ignorance can be eradicated through experiencing their retribution. However, ignorance itself must be eliminated only through realization of the Way (mārga). The extent of ignorance eliminated corresponds precisely to the degree of the Way realized.