Reverend Upali, the minds of all living beings have that very nature (i.e., the nature of ultimately being immune from affliction). Reverend Upali, passions consist of conceptualizations. The ultimate non-existence of these conceptualizations and imaginary fabrications — that is the purity that is the intrinsic nature of the mind. Misapprehensions are passions. The ultimate absence of misapprehensions is the intrinsic nature of the mind. The presumption of self is passion. The absence of self is the intrinsic nature of the mind. Reverend Upali, all things are without production, destruction, and duration, like magical illusions, clouds, and lightning; all things are evanescent, not remaining even for an instant; all things are like dreams, hallucinations, and unreal visions. ; all things are like the reflection of the moon in water and like a mirror-image; they are born of mental construction. Those who know this are called the true upholders of the [doctrine], and those disciplined in that way are indeed well disciplined.
Mimalakirti
from The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti; a Mahayana Scripture