amala-consciousness ［阿摩羅識］ ( amala-vijnāna;  amara-shiki): Also, free-of-defilement consciousness or pure consciousness. The ninth and deepest of the nine consciousnesses. Amala means pure or undefiled, and vijnāna means discernment. The eight consciousnesses set forth in the Consciousness-Only doctrine consist of the six consciousnesses (discernment by eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind), the mano-consciousness, and the ālaya-consciousness. To these the Summary of the Mahayana (Chin She-lun;  Shōron) school founded by Paramārtha (499–569), the Flower Garland (Hua-yen; Kegon) school founded by Tu-shun (557–640), and the T’ien-t’ai ( Tendai) school added a ninth consciousness, which is defined as the basis of all of life’s functions. While the eighth, or ālaya-consciousness contains karmic impurities, the amala-consciousness is pure, free from all defilement, and corresponds to the Buddha nature. See also nine consciousnesses.