Does Manas Participate in the Transition from the Original State to the Realm of Dependent Reality?

Question: In the text, it states: "The fundamental object (ālambana) is altered from the very moment of transmission, transforming into a perceptible dust-object (viṣaya) discernible by the seventh consciousness (manas). When it enters the five sense faculties and the supreme sense faculty, it is altered once again." Regarding the alteration from the fundamental object to the perceptible dust-object discernible by the seventh consciousness: 1. Is this perceptible dust-object at this stage the representational form (pratibimba-ālambana, before entering the supreme sense faculty)? In this process of alteration, does the mental faculty (manas-indriya) participate in the change? 2. Is the process as follows? The Tathāgatagarbha extracts particles from the fundamental object to the mental faculty, transforming them into the representational form. Simultaneously, the Tathāgatagarbha releases the seeds of manas-consciousness into this representational form. The three (particles, representational form, and manas seeds) combine, giving rise to the manas-consciousness. The manas-consciousness then contacts the representational form and cognizes the dust-object. Is this correct? 

Answer: The mental faculty is the second transformative consciousness. The alteration of dharmas (phenomena) is certainly related to the mental faculty. However, precisely how the mental faculty participates in the alteration of dharmas cannot currently be observed. When the Tathāgatagarbha extracts particles from the fundamental object, it transforms them into the representational form. Relying on the Tathāgatagarbha, the mental faculty is then able to contact this representational form. It is not that the Tathāgatagarbha specifically transmits the representational form to the mental faculty, nor is it that the Tathāgatagarbha delivers the seeds of manas-consciousness to the representational form to enable the mental faculty to contact it.