In describing the relation of the interaction of avidya (ignorance), karmavijnana (activity-consciousness—­the subjective mind), vi@saya (external world—­represented by the senses) and the tathata (suchness), As’vaghosa says that there is an interperfuming of these elements.  Thus As’vaghosa says, “By perfuming we mean that while our worldly clothes (viz. those which we wear) have no odour of their own, neither offensive nor agreeable, they can yet acquire one or the other odour according to the nature of the substance with which they are perfumed.  Suchness (tathata) is likewise a pure dharma free from all defilements caused by the perfuming power of ignorance.  On the other hand ignorance has nothing to do with purity.  Nevertheless we speak of its being able to do the work of purity because it in its turn is perfumed by suchness.  Determined by suchness ignorance becomes the raison d’etre of all forms of defilement.  And this ignorance perfumes suchness and produces sm@rti.  This sm@rti in its turn perfumes ignorance.  On account of this (reciprocal) perfuming, the truth is misunderstood.  On account of its being misunderstood an external world of subjectivity appears.  Further, on account of the perfuming power of memory, various modes of individuation are produced.  And by clinging to them various deeds are done, and we suffer as the result miseries mentally as well as bodily.”  Again “suchness perfumes ignorance, and in consequence of this perfuming the individual in subjectivity is caused to loathe the misery of birth and death and to seek after the blessing of Nirvana.  This longing and loathing on the part of the subjective mind in turn perfumes suchness.  On account of this perfuming influence we are enabled to believe that we are in possession within ourselves of suchness whose essential nature is pure and immaculate; and we also recognize that all phenomena in the world are nothing

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but the illusory manifestations of the mind (alayavijnana) and have no reality of their own.  Since we thus rightly understand the truth, we can practise the means of liberation, can perform those actions which are in accordance with the dharma.  We should neither particularize, nor cling to objects of desire.  By virtue of this discipline and habituation during the lapse of innumerable asa@nkhyeyakalpas [Footnote ref 1] we get ignorance annihilated.  As ignorance is thus annihilated, the mind (alayavijnana) is no longer disturbed, so as to be subject to individuation.  As the mind is no longer disturbed, the particularization of the surrounding world is annihilated.  When in this wise the principle and the condition of defilement, their products, and the mental disturbances are all annihilated, it is said that we attain Nirva@na and that various spontaneous displays of activity are accomplished.”  The Nirva@na of the tathata philosophy is not nothingness, but tathata (suchness or thatness) in its purity unassociated with any kind of disturbance which produces all the diversity of experience.