Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.16

द्रव्याश्रय्यगुणवान् संयोगविभागेष्वकारणमनपेक्ष इति गुणलक्षणम् ॥१६॥

dravyāśrayyaguṇavān saṁyōgavibhāgēṣvakāraṇamanapēkṣa iti guṇalakṣaṇam ॥16॥

[द्रव्य आश्रय्य गुणवान् संयोग विभाग एषु अकारणमन अपेक्ष इति गुण लक्षणम्॥
dravya = substance; āśrayya = dependent on; guṇavān = qualities; saṁyōga = combination; vibhāga = disjunction; ēṣu = in; akāraṇamana = without cause/ uncaused, mind; apēkṣa = dependent; iti = thus, is; guṇa lakṣaṇam = characteristics of the qualities;॥]

Qualities take shelter in dependent combination and disjunction of substances, uncaused by the mind. This is the characteristics of qualities (guna).

"uncaused by the mind" - indicates a reality that is independent of the mind.