Tathāgatagarbha Has No Mind Toward All Dharmas

Question: When you look at the moon, your tathāgatagarbha manifests the image of the moon for you; when you are not looking, the moon disappears for you. Although you know in your mind that it is still hanging in the sky, that is merely what your mind consciousness knows through experience. This is my personal understanding—I wonder if it is correct.

Answer: When you are not looking at the moon, it is because the manas does not want to look; why would the tathāgatagarbha go to the extra trouble of manifesting it for the manas? If it manifested the moon and the manas were not interested, wouldn't the tathāgatagarbha be bringing embarrassment upon itself? The tathāgatagarbha never meddles unnecessarily; when there is nothing to do, it simply remains idle—after all, He is not interested in anything. Knowing in your mind that the moon is hanging in the sky is the knowing of the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta).