The Relationship between Various Realms and the Object-Aspect (Nimitta)

The essential realm (essence realm) is formed when all tathāgatagarbhas each output the seeds of the four great elements, creating a shared set of four great elements; all tathāgatagarbhas together use these four great elements to create the universe's material world (the vessel world) and the realms of the six sense objects. Only the tathāgatagarbha can see and contact it. This portion of the object-aspect is the most real object-aspect.

The realm bearing essence (sattva-āśraya realm) is the realm of the six sense objects manifested by a single tathāgatagarbha after it contacts the essential realm, by absorbing the particles of the four great elements from the essential realm. It is like an image in a mirror, carrying the particles of the four great elements from the essential realm; it differs greatly from the essential realm, and compared with the essential realm it is somewhat more illusory. This portion of the object-aspect includes everything from the moment the tathāgatagarbha contacts the essential realm and a similar object-aspect arises instantaneously, all the way up to the object-aspect before it enters the five sense faculties or the five supreme faculties (indriya).

During the transmission of these object-aspects, the particles of the four great elements must pass through the filtering and absorption of intermediate media; the particles of the four great elements are continuously filtered out, so that the object-aspect of the realm bearing essence becomes ever more subtle, its difference from the essential realm ever greater, yet its connection with the essential realm is still quite significant, and its appearance is fairly similar. This portion of the object-aspect, besides being seen and contacted by the tathāgatagarbha, can also be seen and contacted by the manas following along with the tathāgatagarbha.

Because the manas can contact and see the realm bearing essence before it enters the supreme faculty, it has a certain degree of discernment regarding the realm bearing essence, and can correspondingly know its general nature and significance; the five universal mental factors will then arise and operate. For a realm bearing essence that involves one's own safety and peril, the manas will have a rapid power of decision. The tathāgatagarbha knows this decision, and thus, when the realm bearing essence enters the supreme faculty and forms the nature realm, when the six faculties contact the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses are brought forth extremely rapidly to respond; the reaction is extremely swift, with no opportunity for the mind consciousness to analyze, deliberate, infer, or judge. The mind consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses need only obey the manas's coordination and commands, responding and reacting without needing to make their own judgment; only afterward is there time to engage in deliberation, analysis, reasoning, and judgment, to know what one just did and what happened. This is the reason the manas can respond rapidly to sudden events.

The nature realm: when the realm bearing essence passes through the five coarse material faculties and enters the supreme faculty, the realm of the six sense objects manifested within the supreme faculty becomes the nature realm. It is similar to the realm bearing essence, and is called the nature realm, yet it also differs to some degree from the realm bearing essence. During transmission, the realm bearing essence must pass through the filtering of the five faculties, and the particles of the four great elements may undergo certain changes, making the nature realm even more subtle, and also more insubstantial and illusory.

The subjectively imagined realm differs greatly from the nature realm, differs even more from the realm bearing essence, and differs enormously from the essential realm. It is initiated by the manas's grasping, arising out of nothing; the mind consciousness processes and elaborates the manas's deluded imaginings, depicting and adding details, employing non-valid cognition (non-valid cognition) to exercise even more refined functions of deluded imagination, and can even make the imagined realm seem vividly alive. The five sense consciousnesses cannot participate in this part; it is accomplished entirely by the mind consciousness in coordination with the manas. At this time the mind consciousness is called the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta), independently carrying out the work of deluded imagination, sketching out scenes.

The outer six entrances and outer six sense objects refer to the object-aspects of the six sense objects outside the supreme faculty, which have not yet entered the supreme faculty; these should refer to the realm bearing essence, contacted by the manas, which the six consciousnesses cannot contact, much less see. What the six consciousnesses cannot discern does not belong to the inner object-aspect; it should be counted as the six sense objects outside the supreme faculty, called the outer six sense objects.

The inner six sense objects refer to the nature realm within the supreme faculty, which not only the manas can contact and see, but the six consciousnesses can also contact and see. Of course, the eighth consciousness can contact and see them even more so; all dharmas, no matter at what stage, are manifested and held by the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, so the tathāgatagarbha of course can contact and see them; otherwise no dharma could ever arise and exist.