The Three Natures of the Eight Consciousnesses

The three natures of the eight consciousnesses: the sixth consciousness has the nature of dependent origination (paratantra-svabhāva), the seventh consciousness has the nature of imputed grasping (parikalpita-svabhāva), and the tathāgatagarbha has the nature of perfect accomplishment (pariniṣpanna-svabhāva). The first six consciousnesses are generated by the tathāgatagarbha depending on various conditions; without conditions, the six consciousnesses do not arise. The conditions differ respectively—nine conditions, eight conditions, seven conditions, and so on—therefore the six consciousnesses are of dependent origination. They arise depending on the tathāgatagarbha and the manas, depending on karmic seeds, depending on the six sense objects, depending on the six sense faculties, and so forth. Therefore the six consciousnesses lack self-mastery (avaśatā); they are illusory, empty, and without self.

The nature of imputed grasping refers to the seventh consciousness, the manas. He universally deliberates upon and grasps at all dharmas, taking all dharmas as self and belonging to self. He grasps the perceiving-aspect (darśana-bhāga) of the tathāgatagarbha as his own perceiving-aspect, grasps the perceiving-aspect of the six consciousnesses as his own perceiving-aspect, and appropriates the merits of the tathāgatagarbha and the six consciousnesses as his own, clinging greedily without letting go; thus birth and death cannot be brought to an end. Therefore, only by transforming the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the manas can one ultimately attain liberation and attain self-mastery. As long as one thought of ignorance (avidyā) is not extinguished, the seventh consciousness itself is not extinguished; and one thought of ignorance has existed since beginningless kalpas, therefore the existence of the seventh consciousness has no beginning—it is not of dependent origination, but of imputed grasping, because ignorance universally grasps at all dharmas. The inherent nature of the seventh consciousness, the manas, itself possesses the nature of imputed grasping: it grasps at the self of persons, grasps at the self of dharmas, grasps at the myriad dharmas; therefore, due to this grasping nature, it cannot attain liberation from birth and death, cannot attain nirvāṇa, and cannot attain great self-mastery.

The nature of perfect accomplishment (pariniṣpanna-svabhāva) refers to the tathāgatagarbha. He can perfectly accomplish all dharmas, both worldly and transcendent; all dharmas are born and accomplished by Him—with Him there are all dharmas; without Him there are no dharmas at all. The nature of perfect accomplishment of the tathāgatagarbha can perfectly accomplish all dharmas in accordance with karmic seeds and karmic conditions, whether wholesome dharmas or unwholesome dharmas. Therefore it is said that apart from the tathāgatagarbha, all other dharmas are conditioned and subject to arising and ceasing.