Suchness Not Abiding in Its Own Nature Is Not Suchness Being Devoid of Self-Nature

The meaning of "suchness not abiding in its own nature" is that the tathāgatagarbha does not remain in its original position in a state of possessing nothing, but instead flows forth the seeds within the mind to form the existence of the myriad dharmas of the three realms. This suchness refers to the tathāgatagarbha substance itself, and the tathāgatagarbha substance certainly has its own self-nature, which differs from the natures of all worldly dharmas. If the suchness of the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, had no self-nature, it would be a dharma lacking self-mastery, a dharma that is produced. Any dharma that is produced lacks self-mastery and has no independent nature of its own; if it has no independent nature of its own, it is a dharma lacking self-mastery. But the suchness of the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, exists originally, is not born from causes and conditions, and He forever has His own unique nature, never changing or varying; therefore He is of great self-mastery.

The meaning of "nirvāṇa has no self-nature" is that nirvāṇa is a pure, independently existing state of the tathāgatagarbha, and a state is not a dharma possessing self-nature; it is a manifested dharma, used to set off the tathāgatagarbha. If suchness does not refer to the tathāgatagarbha substance itself, but rather refers to the true nature and suchness of the tathāgatagarbha—a kind of quality—then this suchness has no self-nature of its own and is without self-nature.

Since it is said that suchness does not abide in its own nature, this shows that the suchness of the tathāgatagarbha does have self-nature, which is emptiness (śūnyatā). But the tathāgatagarbha, containing seeds, also has the nature of non-emptiness, being able to manifest the myriad dharmas in accordance with conditions; yet when manifesting the myriad dharmas, it is still empty in nature, not possessed of existence, for it is not itself the myriad dharmas. Because the suchness of the tathāgatagarbha has the self-nature of emptiness, it can accomplish the myriad dharmas; if the suchness of the tathāgatagarbha did not have the self-nature of emptiness, it could not accomplish the myriad dharmas. Since the tathāgatagarbha cannot become the myriad dharmas, it can only be the suchness of the tathāgatagarbha itself.

No matter how many dharmas the tathāgatagarbha manifests, He still has His own original nature, just as gold, not abiding in its inherent state as gold, changes into the shapes of gold ornaments; yet no matter how many gold ornaments are fashioned from the gold, it always retains the properties of gold and the essential nature of gold. It is precisely because suchness has self-nature that it is said not to abide in its own nature; "not abiding" still implies existence. Suchness is originally empty and devoid of anything, yet it can give rise to all dharmas in accordance with conditions, and when giving rise to all dharmas, it still has its own original nature. The tathāgatagarbha does not lose the attributes of the tathāgatagarbha substance because it has given rise to the myriad dharmas. The attributes of the tathāgatagarbha substance never change; otherwise the tathāgatagarbha would not be a dharma that never changes or varies.

The tathāgatagarbha is unchanging while according with conditions, and accords with conditions while unchanging—this shows that no matter what the causes and conditions are, the tathāgatagarbha's own substance never changes or varies; He has self-nature, and His self-nature never changes. The three kinds of self-nature—the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the seventh consciousness, the dependent nature (paratantra-svabhāva) of the first six consciousnesses, and the perfectly accomplished nature (pariniṣpanna-svabhāva) of the tathāgatagarbha—are all without self-nature; they are all dharmas that can exist only by relying on the tathāgatagarbha substance.