Abiding Less in Marks, Enlightenment Comes Easily

The tathāgatagarbha itself is a mind that abides nowhere; it does not abide in any dharma in the world, and it itself has no worldly marks whatsoever, let alone the four marks. What needs to break through marks is our mind consciousness—it is the mind consciousness that grasps at marks, it is the mind consciousness that has abiding. Cultivation is to make the mind consciousness reduce its craving and attachment to worldly dharmas, to lessen its knowing and dwelling upon worldly dharmas. Of course, once the four marks are broken through, it becomes easy to realize the tathāgatagarbha; and realizing the tathāgatagarbha is at the same time breaking through the four marks.