Three Realms and Three Measures

The inner six sense-objects (inner dharmas) discerned by the six consciousnesses are material form composed of real seeds of the four great elements; this is called the "nature realm" (real objective realm), and the illusory realm that arises depending on the nature realm is the "carrying-essence realm."

What the five consciousnesses take as their objects is the nature realm, discerned through direct perception. The objects of the mind consciousness include the nature realm, the carrying-essence realm, and the subjectively imagined realm, with discernment through direct perception, inference, and non-valid cognition. The manas takes the perceiving-aspect of the eighth consciousness as what it itself sees, and takes all dharmas manifested by the eighth consciousness as its own, as belonging to itself—this is mistaken knowing and mistaken grasping, and therefore it is discernment through non-valid cognition.

The carrying-essence realms taken as objects by the mind consciousness are as follows: the second moon that appears when one presses one's eye—there is actually no second moon, only one moon; the second moon is an illusory carrying-essence realm. In a dark night, the mind consciousness takes a distant lamplight to be will-o'-the-wisp; there is actually no will-o'-the-wisp, only lamplight—the will-o'-the-wisp is an illusory carrying-essence realm. The mind consciousness takes a rope of grass that it sees to be a snake; there is actually no snake, only a rope—the snake is an illusory carrying-essence realm. The mind consciousness takes a certain person A that it sees to be person B; there is actually no person B, only person A—person B is an illusory carrying-essence realm.