Dharma Dust Cannot Exist Independently

Dharma-dhātu inherently exists upon the five sense objects and, together with them, constitutes the realm of objects. It cannot exist independently. For example, the beauty of a flower is the dharma-dhātu of the flower, coexisting inseparably with the flower's substance. Where there is a flower, there is beauty; when the flower perishes, the beauty ceases. It is not that the beauty of the flower arises anew only after the consciousness discerns it. Rather, it is that the manas cannot discern this dharma-dhātu subtly; it must be handed over to the consciousness for subtle discernment, after which one can know that the flower is beautiful. The beauty is first contacted by the manas but cannot be finely discerned, so it is passed to the consciousness, which can then discern the beauty of the flower. However, even during discernment, one cannot apprehend the beauty apart from the flower. Separated from the flower, the dharma-dhātu of beauty cannot be found.

The manifestation of beauty is jointly revealed by the three transformative consciousnesses and cannot be separated from the manas. Upon the form-dhātu, the dharma-dhātu of manifested form, apparent form, and unmanifested form can simultaneously appear. Charm belongs to unmanifested form; temperament, cultivation, and quality all belong to unmanifested form. They arise simultaneously and co-located with the form-dhātu, inseparable from it.