The Wisdom Realm of Tathāgatagarbha

The tathāgatagarbha possesses the four great element seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind. He is able to deliver the four great element seeds in different proportions to constitute the sense faculties, the body, and the material world. When the earth seed is delivered in greater quantity and occupies a larger proportion, the material form is hard and solid; when the water seed is delivered in greater quantity and occupies a larger proportion, the material form is soft and moist; when the fire element is delivered in greater quantity, the material form has heat and warmth; when the wind element is abundant, the material form is light, soft, and mobile. Therefore, when the tathāgatagarbha creates our bones, nails, hair, muscles, and sinews, He delivers more of the earth seed. He knows how much to deliver; we do not know.

Because at that time there was not yet any so-called "we" in existence—we had to rely on Him to be created—and at that time the mind consciousness had not yet been generated, even now, with consciousness present, we still do not know of this matter; we remain ignorant of it. Only the tathāgatagarbha, which discerns karmic seeds, can know this matter. As for how much of the other seeds of water, fire, and wind to deliver, He likewise knows, without anyone needing to teach or direct Him, because there is no "anyone" at all—it is all He who discerns the karmic seeds and thereby knows how to carry out these tasks. When creating our blood, brain matter, and bone marrow, the tathāgatagarbha delivers more of the water seed, delivering the other seeds in different proportions—all of this He knows.

When to create what, He knows; in which part of the body to create what, He knows; what shape to create, what color, whether a human form, an animal form, or a non-human form—He knows; when to produce the consciousness-mind, He knows; when the fetus is complete and should be born, He knows; after birth, all matters of the material body and the five aggregates, and how they change, He knows; how one grows up and what one grows into, He knows; when one should fall ill with what disease, He knows; when signs of aging appear, He knows, and upon knowing, He manifests the signs of aging; when death will occur, He knows, and thus He will manifest the omens preceding death.

He also knows when to leave the material body, and He knows what kind of neutrino-body (antarā-bhava) to be born with, and He knows which realm sentient beings should be reborn into and with what kind of parents they have karmic affinity. The things we do not know, He knows them all; how the material universe is created, He knows; how mountains, rivers, flowers, grass, and trees come into being, He knows; when the material universe will be destroyed and how it will be destroyed, He knows... there is nothing He does not know. Consider ourselves: what exactly do we know? It is all ignorance. This is the wisdom realm of the tathāgatagarbha: He is not deluded about any dharma; He perceives all dharmas, is mindful of all dharmas, transforms all dharmas, and manifests all dharmas. His functions and virtues are immeasurable and boundless in number, and only upon attaining buddhahood can we come to fully know all these dharmas.