How to Contemplate That All Dharmas Are the Nature of Tathāgatagarbha

In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the World-Honored One repeatedly explains that the five aggregates and eighteen realms are all of the nature of the tathāgatagarbha—they are neither of the nature of dependent arising nor of the nature of natural existence. That they are neither of the nature of dependent arising nor of natural existence can be understood with a good deal of reflection; but the nature of the tathāgatagarbha is extremely hard to understand. Even after realizing the tathāgatagarbha, it is still difficult to observe, and understanding it is by no means easy.

The formless and unmarked seeds of the four great elements compose the tiniest of particles; the particles then gather together to form slightly larger particles; then the seeds of the four great elements keep composing particles, and the particles keep gathering together, until finally material form—physical matter visible to the naked eye—is formed. From nothing to something, from empty, formless seeds to tangible, tiniest particles—this in itself is utterly miraculous, just like magic. That is why it is said that the tathāgatagarbha is a magician.

It is said that the tathāgatagarbha outputs the seeds of the four great elements, but in reality the seeds of the four great elements never go outside the tathāgatagarbha; the particles they compose do not go outside the tathāgatagarbha; the material form that is formed does not go outside the tathāgatagarbha either. Our physical body arises and ceases within the tathāgatagarbha, never going outside of it. The tathāgatagarbha is formless and unmarked, so the physical body cannot possibly have form and mark—then what state is that exactly?

If material form were to arise, it would necessarily have to separate from the tathāgatagarbha, emerge outside of it, and have an independent form and mark; the seeds of the four great elements would emerge outside the tathāgatagarbha, and when they ceased, they would return into the tathāgatagarbha. But the seeds of the four great elements are formless—how could they produce tangible material form? How would the transformation occur? Outside the tathāgatagarbha, how would matter exist and change? Who would rely upon the matter?

The seeds of the four great elements compose particles; the particles gather and compose larger particles; the seeds of the four great elements keep composing particles, and the particles keep gathering, until finally the physical body appears, with form and mark. Yet the physical body is unborn—it has not gone outside the tathāgatagarbha. Since the seeds of the four great elements have not gone outside the tathāgatagarbha, the physical body cannot go outside the tathāgatagarbha. If the seeds of the four great elements left the tathāgatagarbha to form particles, how would they have functions and effects once outside the tathāgatagarbha? Who would give these to them? How would the seeds operate after leaving the tathāgatagarbha? How could the formless be transformed into the tangible? If the physical body went outside the tathāgatagarbha, how would it exist and change? Who would rely upon it? At death, when the four great elements separate and the seeds return into the tathāgatagarbha, how do they go back? If they had gone outside the tathāgatagarbha, there would be no question of returning into it. It turns out that the tathāgatagarbha is playing all by itself, putting on a show all by itself, conjuring magic for itself to watch, amusing itself.

When the seeds of consciousness are produced, they form the consciousness mind; since the seeds of consciousness do not go outside the tathāgatagarbha, the consciousness mind does not go outside the tathāgatagarbha. Apart from the tathāgatagarbha there are no seeds; apart from the tathāgatagarbha there is no consciousness mind, no mental concomitants of the consciousness mind, no feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness. If feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness operate within the tathāgatagarbha, arising and ceasing, arising and ceasing in disorder, then form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are all affairs within the tathāgatagarbha's own household—the conjuring has not conjured anything outside the house. The tathāgatagarbha enjoys it alone, amusing itself.

Since no dharma whatsoever goes outside the tathāgatagarbha, there is no birth; and since nothing returns into the tathāgatagarbha, there is no cessation. There is no phenomenon in the world at all, nor any world; there is nothing, nothing exists—so we might as well just sleep all day long. But who is it that sleeps all day? The rules and principles within the tathāgatagarbha are so mysterious, so uncanny—if we fail to figure them out, I am afraid we will not sleep well anyway.