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法門無量誓願學
佛道無上誓願成

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Dharma Teachings

06 Sep 2020    Sunday     4th Teach Total 2598

Are we within the tathāgatagarbha mind, or is the tathāgatagarbha within our minds?

If the tathāgatagarbha were within our sixth and seventh consciousnesses, would the sixth and seventh consciousnesses have an "inside"? How would the position of "inside" be determined? If our sixth and seventh consciousnesses were within the mind of the tathāgatagarbha, would the tathāgatagarbha have an "inside"? How would the position of "inside" be determined?

Each person's entire five aggregates and eighteen realms are all created by the tathāgatagarbha using the seven intrinsically existing great seeds. The seven great seeds are dharmas within the tathāgatagarbha. It is said that the seven great seeds are outputted to form various dharmas, but in fact the seven great seeds have never gone outside the tathāgatagarbha; otherwise, there would be dharmas existing independently outside the tathāgatagarbha, not held and sustained by the tathāgatagarbha—and that is impossible. Since the seven great seeds do not go outside the tathāgatagarbha and ceaselessly arise, cease, and transform upon sentient beings' five aggregates and eighteen realms, can the five aggregates and eighteen realms exist outside the tathāgatagarbha? Are there dharmas existing independently outside the tathāgatagarbha?

The meaning of the one true dharma realm is that the entirety of sentient beings' worlds is one true dharma realm—the tathāgatagarbha—and all are dharmas within the tathāgatagarbha; there is no dharma independent of and outside the tathāgatagarbha. Although "inside" and "outside" have been spoken of, the tathāgatagarbha still has no inside or outside: the whole is identical with suchness (tathatā). Since no "outside" can be found, there is no relative "inside" either.

——Master Sheng-Ru's Teachings
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