Why All Dharmas Are Ultimately Pure (Part Two)

Original text:众生国土。同一法性。地狱天宫。皆为净土。有性无性。齐成佛道。一切烦恼。毕竟解脱。法界海慧。照了诸相。犹如虚空。此名如来。随顺觉性。

Explanation: Sentient beings and insentient lands share the same dharma-nature; both are of the nature of the tathāgatagarbha dharma. The combined body of sentient beings' material form and mind is accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha through the seven great seeds, while lands are material form, accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha through the five great seeds; both are accomplished through the tathāgatagarbha's perfected nature (pariniṣpanna). Hell and heavenly palaces are both pure lands, both born and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, both perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha, all things within the pure tathāgatagarbha mind, all within the pure land of the tathāgatagarbha.

Sentient beings possessing buddha-nature and insentient things lacking buddha-nature will together accomplish the buddha-way, because those with and without buddha-nature are originally the Tathāgata Buddha, all born and manifested from the tathāgatagarbha, all perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha. All afflictions are ultimately liberated, because all afflictions are born and sustained by the tathāgatagarbha, all perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha, all of the nature of the tathāgatagarbha; and since the tathāgatagarbha is intrinsically liberated, all afflictions are ultimately liberated.

The tathāgatagarbha of the dharma realm, with wisdom vast as the ocean, illuminates all dharma-marks, and all dharmas are like empty space. Likewise, the Buddhas' dharmadhātu-svabhāva-jñāna (wisdom of the essential nature of the dharma realm) also possesses wisdom vast as the ocean; seeing all dharma-marks is likewise like empty space, utterly unobtainable, completely empty—because the Buddhas have realized that the essence of all worldly dharma-marks is empty, just like empty space. All of the above is the Tathāgata's觉性 in accord with suchness (the awakened nature following in accord), which bodhisattvas and ordinary beings cannot realize; they can only understand, contemplate, and imagine it. Yet as long as there is dharma to rely upon, understanding does not seem too difficult, but actual realization requires three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas. The above is the perfected nature (pariniṣpanna) of the tathāgatagarbha, the essential nature that perfectly accomplishes all dharmas.