The six sense-object realms are illusorily manifested by the tathāgatagarbha

Although one closes the eyes and does not see forms, and plugs the ears and does not hear sounds, the realms of the six sense objects are not manifested by the five consciousnesses, the sixth consciousness, or the seventh consciousness; they are all conjured up by the tathāgatagarbha. The five consciousnesses, the sixth consciousness, and the seventh consciousness can only display the objects conjured and fabricated by the tathāgatagarbha within the mind; they cannot fabricate such objects. Moreover, the manifestation of objects depends on certain conditions; when the conditions are not complete, there are no objects within the mind.

The eye consciousness does not see the flower because, with the eyes closed, there is no light; without light, the eye consciousness does not see the flower that has the appearance of light, but it can see the darkness that lacks light. If one's practice has broken through the domain of the aggregate of form (rūpa), this does not apply. By the same token, the ear consciousness does not hear sounds because the sense object of sound does not enter the ear; then the ear consciousness cannot hear the sounds transmitted from outside, but it can hear the buzzing sound within the eardrum.

When the tathāgatagarbha conjures all objects, it relies not only on karmic seeds but also on various conditions, including the mental factors (caittas) of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, and the intentions and thoughts of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses. Then the seven consciousnesses cooperate with the tathāgatagarbha to manifest the objects, and only then can the sixth consciousness have cognition.