Tathāgatagarbha and Manas: Which Dharma Is More Essential?

Question: Which is more crucial, the Dharma of Tathagatagarbha or the Dharma concerning manas? If Papiyas (Mara) seeks to undermine the Dharma, which Dharma's propagation would he most want to obstruct?

Answer: Both the Dharma of Tathagatagarbha and the Dharma concerning manas are important. However, if one must compare which is more crucial, then the Dharma of Tathagatagarbha is more essential. Without Tathagatagarbha, there would be no Dharma whatsoever. Without realizing Tathagatagarbha, practicing any Dharma is useless. Without realizing Tathagatagarbha, there can be no subsequent various contemplations and practices, nor can the Pratyaveksana-jnana (Discriminative Wisdom) arise to contemplate the various functions and intrinsic nature of manas, and the Samata-jnana (Wisdom of Equality) of manas will not manifest.

If Papiyas seeks to destroy the Dharma and obstruct the propagation of Buddhism, he will undoubtedly first target the Dharma of Tathagatagarbha, and then hinder the Dharma concerning manas. Papiyas possesses immense merit and virtue. During the Buddha’s lifetime when the Buddha was propagating the Dharma, Papiyas stayed close to the Buddha, attending many Dharma assemblies. Most of the time, he attended with the intent to undermine the Dharma, but on rare occasions, compelled by the Buddha’s power and the influence of the Dharma, or under the admonishment of Bodhisattvas, he had no choice but to listen attentively to the Dharma during the assemblies and even protect the Dharma. He has always known that the Buddha Dharma is exceedingly excellent and crucial, capable of enabling sentient beings to attain coolness and liberation. However, due to his extremely intense desire for followers, wishing to control more and more followers rather than fewer, he does not want sentient beings to learn the Buddha Dharma well, nor does he want them to attain mental coolness and liberation, thereby escaping his control.

Therefore, when Papiyas learned that the World-Honored One was about to expound an important Mahayana sutra, he would resort to every possible means to obstruct it. The Buddha, fully aware of Papiyas’ schemes, never exposed him directly, leaving it to the Dharma-protecting Bodhisattvas to admonish Papiyas. Consequently, Papiyas ended up hearing much of the Buddha Dharma, primarily Mahayana teachings, during the Buddha’s assemblies. He came to understand a considerable amount of Mahayana Dharma, and due to this meritorious root and virtue in later lifetimes, he will be able to become a true Bodhisattva and eventually attain Buddhahood.

However, before he becomes a true Bodhisattva and before he falls into hell to suffer the retribution for his evil deeds, he still possesses demonic nature and a very strong desire for followers. He will inevitably use the Buddha Dharma he has heard to teach sentient beings a counterfeit Mahayana Dharma and expound on Tathagatagarbha in a manner that approximates the true Dharma. Because he possesses supernatural powers, it is easy for him to learn the profound meaning of Tathagatagarbha. When he teaches about Tathagatagarbha, he is willing to reveal the profound meaning to sentient beings. He is not afraid that sentient beings will merely know the conclusion, because knowing the result is useless—the actual practice and process in between are the most crucial. By doing this, Papiyas cleverly achieves his goals: first, to make sentient beings revere him, thereby winning them over; second, to prevent sentient beings from genuinely practicing and truly attaining liberation. Once sentient beings easily learn the profound meaning, they can no longer engage in diligent practice, and they will develop extremely heavy arrogance, creating negative karma. Thus, no matter what, these sentient beings cannot escape Papiyas’ control, and he achieves his aim. Therefore, Papiyas is not afraid of sentient beings learning the Dharma of Tathagatagarbha, as long as they learn it improperly and then easily learn the profound meaning of Tathagatagarbha, making it even harder for them to attain liberation. These sentient beings will still belong to Papiyas’ followers, controlled by him.

Thus, we understand that what Papiyas fears most is genuine practice and realization. Learning the Dharma, genuine practice, and realization are all related to meditative concentration (dhyana) and manas. With sufficient meditative concentration, one can influence and cultivate manas, making it easier to realize the Buddha Dharma, and thus liberation is not far off. Papiyas is utterly helpless against this. Therefore, he will vigorously obstruct and hinder the genuine realization of meditative concentration and manas, overtly maintaining it while covertly sabotaging it. Sentient beings fail to see through his tactics and instead believe he is protecting the Dharma, that he is truly practicing and is a genuine Bodhisattva. Papiyas is extremely cunning. Outwardly, he strongly supports the Buddha Dharma and even personally teaches and propagates it, but he absolutely will not allow sentient beings to truly realize the Buddha Dharma. The underhanded manipulations he performs in secret are absolutely undetectable to the wisdom of ordinary sentient beings. Only sentient beings with deep roots of goodness and merit can receive the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, remain unaffected by his delusions, and attain genuine realization. Therefore, roots of goodness and merit are extremely important.