The Process by Which All Buddhas Attain Omniscience (Sarvākārajñatā)

Gold has the nature of gold; gold is analogous to the tathāgatagarbha, and the nature of gold is analogous to the nature of the tathāgatagarbha, which is also equivalent to the nature of true suchness (tathatā). Gold basins, gold bowls, and gold jewelry are all crafted from gold, and all possess the nature of gold—or in other words, they are all the nature of gold. By the same principle, all dharmas transformed and created by the tathāgatagarbha possess the nature of true suchness; that is to say, they all possess the nature of the tathāgatagarbha.

One may know that a gold basin and a gold bowl are made of gold, but at the beginning one does not yet know that they are crafted from one hundred percent pure gold—that every speck of dust, from inside to outside, is gold and possesses the properties of gold. After being in contact with them for a long time, through continuous observation and verification of the gold basin and gold bowl, one comes to understand more and more about the properties of gold, and will become increasingly certain of the gold content and purity of the basin and bowl. In the end, one will completely verify that the gold basin and gold bowl are entirely made of pure gold—one hundred percent gold, possessing all the properties of gold, and can be treated as gold without reservation.

This process is the same as the process of developing the wisdom of the general characteristics, the wisdom of the specific characteristics, the wisdom of the varieties of paths, and omniscience (sarvākārajñatā) after realizing the tathāgatagarbha. When one is newly enlightened and realizes the tathāgatagarbha within the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), it is like just having learned that the gold basin and gold bowl are made of gold and contain a certain degree of the nature of gold, but not yet knowing to what degree the gold is pure. After the wisdom of specific characteristics arises, one then carefully observes and verifies the tathāgatagarbha within all dharmas, and will observe more and more of the tathāgatagarbha's nature possessed by all dharmas. When one has observed to a certain point, one will realize that all dharmas possess one portion of the true-suchness nature of the tathāgatagarbha—at this point one attains the first bhūmi.

After continuing to observe and verify within all dharmas, one will realize that all dharmas perfectly and completely possess the true-suchness nature of the tathāgatagarbha—realizing the full ten parts of true suchness, the perfect score of true suchness, with true suchness filling one's vision. At this point one possesses complete omniscience (sarvākārajñatā) and attains buddhahood. The pity is that a person who does not recognize gold sees only the basin and bowl, not the gold, and can only continue to be a poor vagrant, guarding the gold while living by begging—how pitiable. Ordinary beings guard the tathāgatagarbha within their bodies but do not recognize it, acknowledging only the body of the five aggregates; then they can only continue in the cycle of the six realms of rebirth, which is even more pitiable.