Dependent arising (paratantra) and imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva)

Question: Since the manas is the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva), grasping everywhere from heaven above to earth below, and it is the consciousness that acts as the master, it must carry the six consciousnesses along; the six consciousnesses also grasp everywhere, so they should also be of the imputed nature. The six consciousnesses are born of the tathāgatagarbha in dependence on conditions, so they are of the dependent-arising nature (paratantra); dependence on cause and condition is precisely dependence on the other. The manas is also born of the tathāgatagarbha in dependence on karmic seeds, so it should also be of the dependent-arising nature. From the perspective of arising from the real, the manas is spoken of as dependent-arising; from the perspective of deluded seeing of appearances, it is spoken of as the imputed nature. Therefore, outer sense-objects and inner sense-objects, all consciousnesses and karmic seeds, are all born of the tathāgatagarbha and are all of the dependent-arising nature. Only what is not born of the tathāgatagarbha is the imputed nature. So shouldn't the manas be said to be of the dependent-arising nature?

Answer: The manas existed from the very beginning, before beginningless kalpas. At that time, there were not yet any karmic seeds created by the five aggregates in the tathāgatagarbha's mind-substance, yet the manas still existed. The reason for its existence is that the manas has ignorance, called beginningless ignorance (avidyā); fundamental ignorance is also beginningless and is likewise called beginningless ignorance. The conditions for the manas's arising and existence are extremely few: the tathāgatagarbha, ignorance, and the power of the vows of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas suffice. Therefore, the dependent-arising nature of the manas is not evident.

The manas's most essential characteristic is its grasping nature. As an ordinary being, there is not a single dharma it does not grasp; this is called the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva). Because of this grasping nature, segmented birth-and-death and transformational birth-and-death have no end. The arising and existence of the six consciousnesses come mainly from the manas's imputed grasping nature. The conditions for the six consciousnesses' arising are more numerous than those for the manas; only when causes and conditions are complete can the six consciousnesses arise. Therefore, the six consciousnesses are said to be of the dependent-arising nature. Although the six consciousnesses also have a grasping nature, their grasping nature is still influenced, permeated, and regulated by the manas; compared with the manas's grasping nature, theirs is not prominent. In terms of their main characteristic, the six consciousnesses are of the dependent-arising nature and cannot be said to be of the imputed grasping nature, because the six consciousnesses cannot operate universally upon all dharmas; there are many areas they do not pervade. Therefore, one cannot say the six consciousnesses are of the imputed grasping nature.