Enlightenment Without Distinguishing Reality from Illusion Is Mere Speculation and Conjecture

The manas governs the six consciousnesses as they collectively operate upon forms, sounds, scents, tastes, tangible objects, and dharmas. It can be said that this is the integrated functioning of the eight consciousnesses, involving both the true mind and the deluded mind. If either is absent, no dharma could ever arise or function. Therefore, when some claim to have attained realization regarding a particular dharma, yet within the operation of that dharma both true consciousness and deluded consciousness are present, what exactly have they realized? Is it the true mind, the deluded mind, or the union of the true and the false? If this crucial point remains unclear, any talk of realization or non-realization is fundamentally indistinguishable.

Some might say, "I know that the tathāgatagarbha exists within this dharma, so I have attained realization." However, within this dharma, the other seven consciousnesses also exist. Without the tathāgatagarbha, the seven consciousnesses cannot exist, and no dharma could possibly exist or function. How then could any operation continue? Attributing the functions and roles of the seven consciousnesses to the tathāgatagarbha means what is realized is nothing more than the integrated entity of the eight consciousnesses. What kind of realization is that?