20. The ālaya-vijnāna is the fundamental eighth level of consciousness in Yogācāra, based on which all ordinary consciousness arises. Here, ālaya-consciousness is subject to arising and perishing, whereas dharma-nature is beyond arising and perishing. Zhiyi uses the term “ālaya-consciousness” as a synonym for “conditions” and for “ignorance.” Zhiyi, contrasting dharma-nature and ālaya-consciousness, seeks to demonstrate a contradiction between mental activity and conditions in order to criticize this distinction as a false teaching of other Buddhist schools. This helps him to outline his own point of view, which he considers to be the middle way beyond the false mutual exclusivity of dharma-nature and ālaya-consciousness.