What is neither increasing nor decreasing?

In the dharma realm, the six faculties neither increase nor decrease; in the dharma realm, the six sense objects neither increase nor decrease; in the dharma realm, the six consciousnesses neither increase nor decrease; and the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness neither increase nor decrease. This is because the phenomenal world is like an illusion, like a conjuration, without any intrinsic essence, and has never increased or decreased. Illusory arising and illusory ceasing can never be obtained, and therefore there is neither increase nor decrease. All dharmas arise from the conjunction of causes and conditions and are not real in themselves; they have never arisen nor ever ceased, and therefore there is neither increase nor decrease. To understand the dharma realm in this way is very wise. Although it is the wisdom of the mind consciousness, it is still very good, for it can guide contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) toward realization.

Is a Nirmāṇakāya a sentient being? Does it increase or decrease? A Nirmāṇakāya is also a sentient being. Although the phenomena may increase or decrease, the nature neither increases nor decreases, and the fundamental essence neither increases nor decreases. What makes a sentient being a sentient being is that it possesses a complete set of equipment, including the eight consciousnesses, and may also include the physical body; the essential ones are the manas and the eighth consciousness, with the seventh and eighth consciousnesses as the mainstay. Since the seventh and eighth consciousnesses neither increase nor decrease, the Nirmāṇakāya neither increases nor decreases. The Dharmakāya Buddha (dharma-kāya-buddha) is the eighth consciousness, the Sambhogakāya Buddha (saṃbhoga-kāya-buddha) is the seventh consciousness, and the Nirmāṇakāya (nirmāṇakāya) is the six consciousnesses. No matter how many Nirmāṇakāyas the buddhas and bodhisattvas manifest, they all exist by relying on the Dharmakāya and the Sambhogakāya and belong to the Dharmakāya and the Sambhogakāya. A Nirmāṇakāya cannot exist independently, and a Nirmāṇakāya on its own cannot be counted as a sentient being, because it lacks self-mastery (avaśatā) and autonomy.