The respective functions of the three transformative consciousnesses

Of all the mental sense-objects (dharma-viṣaya) that the mind consciousness takes as its object, none can be directly manifested by the mind consciousness itself—they are all manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. Does the dharma that the mind consciousness takes as its object require the manas as an intermediary in order to function? Certainly, without the manas, no dharma would manifest. If the manas does not take up a dharma, there is no reason for the mind consciousness to arise, and the mind consciousness cannot arise to discern that dharma. The sutra says that with the manas and dharmas as conditions, the mind consciousness arises.

There is a special case cited: the manas takes up a cup, the mind consciousness arises, and the mind consciousness mistakes the cup for a pen holder. Some say that this pen holder is something the manas does not take up, but rather something manifested by the mind consciousness and taken up by it alone. Let us consider: does a dharma called "pen holder" actually exist? No, it does not. A pen holder is like the hair of a turtle or the horns of a rabbit. A turtle inherently has no hair; what does not exist is said to be empty—so what consciousness would be needed to manifest it? If it were manifested by the seeds of the four great elements, then it would be said to be manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. But if it were manifested by the tathāgatagarbha through the seeds of the four great elements, then the turtle's hair would be a truly existent dharma, visible to everyone with the naked eye. Yet not even a Buddha can see the hair of a turtle or the horns of a rabbit—only what is not a truly existent dharma cannot be seen.

Since it is not manifested by the tathāgatagarbha and is not a truly existent dharma, the mind consciousness is even less able to manifest it. He possesses no seeds whatsoever and has no qualification to manifest any dharma. By the same reasoning, neither the manas nor the five sense consciousnesses has any qualification to manifest any dharma. Taking a rope for a snake, or mistaking a cup for a pen holder, is merely a case of misrecognition—nothing more than a diseased eye beholding flowers in the sky. Who could manifest flowers that do not exist? The case of seeing the reflection of a bow in a cup as a snake is the same: there is no snake, no snake exists; as for a dharma that does not exist, there is no question of who gave birth to or manifested it—it is merely misrecognition. It is like mistaking Zhang San for Li Si: since there is no such person as Li Si, who could manifest Li Si? What ability would there be to manifest Li Si? If Li Si were manifested through seeds, then Li Si would be truly existent; if Li Si is not manifested through seeds, then there is no Li Si—it is merely a diseased eye beholding flowers in the sky. And what meaning is there in then going on to verify whether Li Si is real or fake, his age, or his gender?

Where a dharma is without the manas, there is no mind consciousness and none of the mind consciousness's wild imaginings; all are dharmas provided by the tathāgatagarbha under the manas's direction, and the manas necessarily takes them up. But once the mind consciousness has arisen, it must inevitably perform its proper function; otherwise, the so-called third transformative consciousness (tṛtīya-pariṇāma-vijñāna) would be meaningless. The second transformative consciousness is responsible for directing the tathāgatagarbha in its manifestations, while the third transformative consciousness is responsible for displaying images and discerning them, and for deliberation, analysis, and processing. The "transformative agency (parināma)" is not direct transformation—in essence, it is all the tathāgatagarbha that transforms. It is only that the manas and the six consciousnesses can assist and display, and can guide the tathāgatagarbha's manifestations. The attention (manaskāra) of the mind consciousness can influence the attention of the manas, and the attention of the manas can guide the attention of the tathāgatagarbha; thus only when the three converge in harmony can a dharma be brought forth. When the mind consciousness engages in inference, the manas knows of it, assents to the inference, and determines to manifest the deliberated mental sense-object, and the tathāgatagarbha then cooperates. The tathāgatagarbha does not heed the mind consciousness's decisions; He only heeds the decisions of the manas.