3.  The Mahayana Doctrine of Dharmalaksana.[FN#357]

This doctrine tells us that from time immemorial all sentient beings naturally have eight different Vijnyanas[FN#358] and the eighth, Alaya-vijnyana,[FN#359] is the origin of them. (That is), the Alaya suddenly brings forth the ’seeds’[FN#360] of living beings and of the world in which they live, and through transformation gives rise to the seven Vijnyanas.  Each of them causes external objects on which it acts to take form and appear.  In reality there is nothing externally existent.  How, then, does Alaya give rise to them through transformation?  Because, as this doctrine tells us, we habitually form the erroneous idea that Atman and external objects exist in reality, and it acts upon Alaya and leaves its impressions[FN#361] there.  Consequently, when Vijnyanas are awakened, these impressions (or the seed-ideas) transform and present themselves (before the mind’s eye) Atman and external objects.

[FN#357] This school studies in the main the nature of things (Dharma), and was so named.  The doctrine is based on Avatamsaka-sutra and Samdhi-nirmocana-sutra, and was systematized by Asamga and Vasu-bandhu.  The latter’s book, Vidyamatra-siddhi-castra-karika, is held to be the best authoritative work of the school.

[FN#358] (1) The sense of sight; (2) the sense of hearing; (3) the sense of smell; (4) the sense of taste; (5) the sense of touch; (6) Mano-vijnyana (lit., mind-knowledge), or the perceptive faculty; (7) Klista-mano-vijnyana (lit., soiled-mind-knowledge), or an introspective faculty; (8) Alaya-vijnyana (lit., receptacle-knowledge), or ultimate-mind-substance.

[FN#359] The first seven Vijnyanas depend on the Alaya, which is said to hold all the ‘seeds’ of physical and mental objects.

[FN#360] This school is an extreme form of Idealism, and maintains that nothing separated from the Alaya can exist externally.  The mind-substance, from the first, holds the seed ideas of everything, and they seem to the non-enlightened mind to be the external universe, but are no other than the transformation of the seed-ideas.  The five senses, and the Mano-vijnyana acting on them, take them for external objects really existent, while the seventh Vijnyana mistakes the eighth for Atman.

[FN#361] The non-enlightened mind, habitually thinking that Atman and external objects exist, leaves the impression of the seed-ideas on its own Alaya.

Then the sixth and the seventh[FN#362] Vijnyana veiled with Avidya, dwelling on them, mistake them for real Atman and the real external objects.  This (error) may be compared with one diseased[FN#363] in the eye, who imagines that he sees various things (floating in the air) on account of his illness; or with a dreamer[FN#364] whose fanciful thoughts assume various forms of external objects, and present themselves before him.  While in the dream he fancies that there exist external objects in reality, but on awakening he finds that they are nothing other than the transformation of his dreaming thoughts.