The Tathāgatagarbha's Upholding of the Embryo, the Faculty-Body, and the Material Environment (V)

Another example is the residual force effect in the motion of objects. What is called residual force? There is really no such thing as residual force. The residual force and inertial effect of objects are both illusory surface phenomena; in substance they do not exist. They are all the sustaining function of the tathāgatagarbha, manifestations of the tathāgatagarbha's functioning. For example, when we kick a soccer ball, after the foot exerts force and kicks the ball out, the ball flies up into the air, as if our foot had given it the force to move through the air, giving it residual force and inertial effect so that it moves through the air. In fact, all of this is the operation of the tathāgatagarbha. If the soccer ball were apart from the sustaining function of the tathāgatagarbha, it could not fly through the air; no matter how much force we exerted, it could not fly through the air. All of this involves the sustaining function of the tathāgatagarbha; He brings about various effects on objects through the seeds of the four great elements.

The tathāgatagarbha's sustaining function over the body faculty, the vessel (the physical environment), the world, and karmic seeds, and its transforming, creating, and sustaining function over all dharmas, is content of the profound seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only. At present, we only need to know that all dharmas do not exist independently, that there is no independent phenomenon of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, and that there is no independent functional operation—all are closely connected with the tathāgatagarbha. Then, with regard to all worldly dharmas, we will eliminate deluded and inverted thoughts and eliminate mistaken cognition. In the future we will gradually realize the twofold selflessness of persons and dharmas, possess profound Mahāyāna wisdom, make rapid progress on the path to bodhi, be free from afflictions, suffering, distress, and anxiety, and finally attain ultimate nirvāṇa.

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