The Arising of Any Dharma Requires the Condition of Manas

The manas universally conditions the twelve sense fields and eighteen elements. The arising of any dharmas requires the condition of manas; without the condition of manas, the Tathagatagarbha cannot directly give rise to any dharmas, except for manas itself. The six sense faculties include the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body faculties. Without the condition of manas, these five faculties fundamentally cannot arise. The six sense objects—forms, sounds, scents, tastes, tangible objects, and dharmas—without the condition of manas, the Tathagatagarbha fundamentally cannot produce them.

How were the five faculties such as the body faculty initially produced? Only when the manas reincarnates together with the Tathagatagarbha are the five faculties produced. After their production, the manas, relying on the Tathagatagarbha, is fully aware of all conditions pertaining to the five faculties. If a situation is particularly severe or critical, and the manas is unable to handle it, the six consciousnesses will then arise to perceive, cognize, and process it. If the matter is unimportant or ordinary, the six consciousnesses do not arise; the manas itself simply knows. The same applies to the six sense objects of forms, sounds, scents, tastes, tangible objects, and dharmas. The manas, following the Tathagatagarbha, can contact all these. Only if there is a need to perceive, cognize, and process them will the six consciousnesses arise. If detailed perception, cognition, and processing are unnecessary, the six consciousnesses do not arise, and thus they remain unaware of the objects.

Accidental circumstances occur outside the scope of the mental consciousness. When karma manifests too rapidly for the six consciousnesses to arise and perceive, knowing by the manas alone is useless, as it cannot handle any matter. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra states that the manas silently contains all dharmas. The scope of "all dharmas" is precisely defined here, without exception.