Why Is It Said That the Three Transformative Consciousnesses Collectively Manifest All Phenomena in the World

Question: Since all dharmas are born from the eighth consciousness, why is it still said that the three transformative consciousnesses (parināma) together manifest the myriad dharmas?

Answer: Although all the myriad dharmas of the world are manifested by the eighth consciousness, the eighth consciousness alone, without relying on external conditions, cannot transform and give birth to all dharmas. The eighth consciousness must depend on corresponding conditions in order to produce all dharmas; a solitary cause does not generate dharmas.

Yogācāra speaks of the three transformative consciousnesses (parināma): the eighth consciousness is the first transformative consciousness, the manas is the second transformative consciousness, and the first six consciousnesses are the third transformative consciousness. The eighth consciousness, in conjunction with the seventh consciousness, transforms and gives rise to the sentient body and the material world; then, in conjunction with the six consciousnesses, it can produce all dharmas. If the first six consciousnesses do not participate in the manifestation, many dharmas cannot become manifest. All the running activities of the six consciousnesses are stored in the eighth consciousness as seeds; only on the basis of these seeds can the eighth consciousness produce the myriad dharmas. Without these karmic seeds, the eighth consciousness also cannot generate the myriad dharmas.

It is like the arhats of the fourth fruit: the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of their six consciousnesses have already become tranquil (praśama), and they are unwilling to create many conditioned worldly dharmas, so the seeds of the three-realm world are no longer accumulated, and the manas no longer grasps at the dharmas of the three-realm world. Then, at the time of death, they will enter Nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), after which only the eighth consciousness remains, producing no dharmas at all. Therefore, the birth of the dharmas of the three-realm world must be produced jointly by the three transformative consciousnesses in conjunction; the eighth consciousness alone does not generate dharmas and does not transform dharmas. If our present six consciousnesses all become non-active and are unwilling to create bodily, verbal, and mental actions, then seeds will not be produced, and in future lives the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) will no longer be born, and the chain of birth and death will be severed. The appearance of the dharmas of the three-realm world is necessarily the result of the joint operation of the eight consciousnesses.