Patriarch's Teachings: Direct Interpretation
Chapter Five: Interpretation of Selected Passages from the Sixth Patriarch's Platform Sūtra
One. The Sixth Patriarch said: Good Knowledgeable Friends! As for what is called "without" — without what, exactly? As for what is called "thought" — what is it that thinks? What is called "without" means being without marks of differentiation, without the mind of all false views and worldly toil; what is called "thought" means thinking of the true suchness of self-nature. True suchness is the essence of thought, and thought is the function of true suchness. The self-nature of true suchness can give rise to thought; it is not the faculties such as the eye, ear, nose, and tongue that think.
Explanation: The Sixth Patriarch said: Good Knowledgeable Friends, as for the "without" we usually speak of, what should be without? As for the "thought" we usually speak of, what should be thought? A practitioner's mind should be without those marks of differentiation among dharmas, should not discriminate this dharma as high and that dharma as low, should be without marks of high and low, wholesome and unwholesome, true and false, beautiful and ugly, and should be without all the mental activities of false discrimination and worldly afflictive toil; a practitioner's mind should at all times think of the self-nature of true suchness, and not think of marks of worldly toil and affliction. True suchness is the essence that can think, and thought is the function of true suchness; when there is an essence, function can arise, and where there is function, there is an essence. The self-nature of true suchness can also give rise to thought; what it thinks of is different from what the six consciousnesses think of through the six faculties. The six consciousnesses think of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, whereas true suchness does not think of these dharmas; the dharmas that true suchness thinks of, the six consciousnesses cannot think of.
True suchness inherently possesses self-nature, and therefore can give rise to thought in accordance with conditions; when true suchness gives rise to thought, the myriad dharmas necessarily manifest. If true suchness lacked self-nature, the eye and forms, the ear and sounds would instantly vanish and disintegrate. "Without marks of differentiation" means that the myriad dharmas are all transformed by true suchness, are neither identical with nor different from true suchness, are all of the nature of true suchness, and are without the marks of worldly dharmas. The mind of false views and worldly toil is the false mind of the seven consciousnesses; since it is false, it is not real — illusory, fake, not truly existent. The false mind can think of true suchness; thinking means the essence of true suchness is exerting its function; without true suchness the false mind could not think. True suchness is the essence of thought; the essence is the fundamental substance, a truly existent essence. When true suchness exerts its function, the false mind can think; therefore thought is the function of true suchness.
When true suchness gives rise to thought on its own, it differs from the thinking of the six consciousnesses: the six consciousnesses think of the six faculties and six sense objects, whereas true suchness thinks of all dharmas yet does not fall into the appearances of any dharma. True suchness also thinks of the seventh consciousness, and thereupon works in concert with the seventh consciousness to operate all dharmas. True suchness has a real self-substance and truly exists; if it did not exist, the six faculties and six sense objects would perish on the spot and cease to exist — let alone give rise to the six consciousnesses.
Two. Monk Datong asked Zhichang: 如何是本心本性？Monk Datong said: 汝见虚空有相貌否？汝之本性犹如虚空。返观自性了无一物可见，是名正见，了无一物可知，是名真知。无有青黄长短，但见本源清净觉观圆明，即名见性成佛。也名如来知见。The Sixth Patriarch refuted him, saying: 不见一法存无见，大似浮云遮日面。不知一法守空知，还如太虚生闪电。此之知见撇然兴，错认何曾解方便。
Explanation: Monk Datong asked Zhichang: What is the original mind and original nature? Monk Datong said: Do you see that empty space has any appearance? Your original nature is like empty space, without any appearance. When you introspect upon your own self-nature, there is not a single thing to be seen — seeing without anything seen is called right view; there is not a single thing to be known — that is true knowledge. Not seeing blue, yellow, long, or short, but only seeing the original source as pure, with initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra) perfectly luminous — this is called seeing one's nature and becoming a Buddha; it is also called the knowledge and vision of the Tathāgata.
The Sixth Patriarch refuted him, saying: If one claims that not seeing a single dharma is seeing, while holding in mind a view of "nothing," it is precisely like floating clouds in the sky blocking the sun. Not knowing a single dharma while clinging to an empty view is like a bolt of lightning flashing across the great void. When such views abruptly arise, it is a mistaken view — how could one who thus misapprehends understand the expedient means [of the teachings]?
Monk Datong said that self-nature is like empty space, possessing nothing at all — this falls into the "nothing" of possessing nothing, denying the real essential nature of self-nature. Self-nature is not like empty space, possessing nothing; it is ultimate reality, a real mark. Although it is without mark, its essence exists; only with an essence can there be the functions of all dharmas — nothing is more real than it. Within it there are innumerable seed-functions; it cannot possibly possess nothing like empty space. "Not a single thing to be seen" as the seeing of the true suchness of self-nature — this view is a wrong view/false view (mithyā-dṛṣṭi), not right view; right view can see the operational characteristics of true suchness in motion. "Not a single thing to be known" is false knowledge; true knowledge can know all the functions of true suchness.
Three. The Sixth Patriarch said: 自性具三身，发明成四智。不离见闻缘，超然登佛地。
Explanation: In this passage, the Sixth Patriarch explains the Dharmakāya Buddha, the Sambhogakāya Buddha, and the Nirmāṇakāya Buddha very clearly. Since there is the Dharmakāya, the Sambhogakāya and Nirmāṇakāya can be produced, and the six faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses of sentient beings can also be produced — that is, all the phenomenal dharmas and principled dharmas we contact can be produced, namely the myriad dharmas, thousands of dharmas, immeasurable dharmas. Since it can produce these dharmas, this shows that the true nature is not an emptiness possessing nothing; it truly exists and has real functions. From the Buddha's three bodies comes the Buddha's perfectly luminous four wisdoms: the great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna) is the true suchness of the Dharmakāya; the wisdom of equality (samatā-jñāna) is the manas, the seventh consciousness; the wonderful observing wisdom (pratyavekṣaṇa-jñāna) is the sixth consciousness; and the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done (kṛtyānuṣṭhāna-jñāna) is the first five consciousnesses.
The Buddha also has eight consciousnesses, not one fewer; the first seven consciousnesses are produced by true suchness, and whatever is produced is of a nature of arising and ceasing — it is illusory. The Buddha uses these false minds to discriminate all dharmas, thereby benefiting and bringing joy to sentient beings and broadly delivering those with affinity. The Buddha does not have only a true suchness, nor does He fail to discriminate all dharmas; having the minds of the seven consciousnesses means discriminating all dharmas — and the Buddha skillfully employs these discriminations, whereas sentient beings employ them unskillfully.
Self-nature is the Dharmakāya Buddha. The Buddha has three bodies — it is not emptiness, not devoid of a single dharma. The four wisdoms are transformed from the eight consciousnesses, and are also not emptiness or nonexistence. There is seeing and hearing and there are conditions; there is still the mind of seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing, and there are dharmas produced from conditions — it is not that the conditioned dharma of causes and conditions is all discarded and left unused.
Four. The Sixth Patriarch said: 断除烦恼重增病，趣向真如也是邪。
Explanation: The criterion for judging wrong and right is whether a dharma is the fundamental dharma, real and forever unchanging, or an illusory dharma constantly changing. The fundamental dharma is right mindfulness; illusory dharmas are not the right dharma; a dharma that can perish is expediently called wrong. Then let us see whether the dharma of eradicating afflictions is a fundamental dharma or an illusory dharma born later. Afflictions are illusory dharmas that arise later; the mind and conduct that eradicate afflictions are illusory dharmas that arise later — it is the seven consciousnesses that wish to eradicate afflictions, and this action is performed by the seven consciousnesses.
The mind of true suchness has never had afflictions, does not wish to eradicate afflictions, and even less goes about eradicating them. Therefore the dharma of eradicating afflictions is not the right dharma; it is a pathological mental activity. Only a mind with the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion would want to eradicate afflictions — of course it is pathological. "Turning toward true suchness is also wrong" — who turns toward true suchness, seeks to realize true suchness, takes refuge in true suchness? Of course it is the false mind of the seven consciousnesses. The false mind is not originally existent, so it is not right — expediently called wrong. A person who has awakened to the Way has realized true suchness, but the person is not true suchness; true suchness is true suchness, and sentient beings are sentient beings. Some say there are no afflictions to eradicate — that is passable; but to say there is no true suchness to turn toward is an annihilationist view, a wrong view/false view (mithyā-dṛṣṭi).
Some say serenity is true suchness, but serenity is not true suchness. True suchness has no such thing as serenity or non-serenity; it does not face the realms of the six sense objects and has no feelings, therefore it has no serenity. Only sentient beings' mind consciousness, facing the realms of the six sense objects, has serenity or non-serenity. The true and the false must not be confused. True suchness means truly real and such — it is not "as if real"; "as if real" means seemingly real, like the real, whereas true suchness is truly real, with no "seemingly" about it.
When the Buddha was in the world, what He realized was the nirvāṇa of no abode (apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa): He does not abide in the state of nirvāṇa but constantly manifests the Buddha's physical form to benefit and bring joy to sentient beings — unlike the arhats who extinguish the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) and eighteen realms and abandon the physical form. Out of compassion and pity for sentient beings, the Buddha does not enjoy the bliss of nirvāṇa for Himself while ignoring the suffering of beings.
Nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa) is realized by the arhats of the third and fourth fruits, meaning the arhats still have a body existing; because of this body, there is a bit of the feeling of suffering — wind and sun, mosquito and insect bites, attacks of illness, and so on. After extinguishing the five aggregates and eighteen realms, they enter Nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa); suffering has nothing to depend on, and there is no feeling of suffering. But the Buddha never takes Nirvāṇa without remainder, and He admonishes the bodhisattvas never to take Nirvāṇa without remainder either, because having entered Nirvāṇa without remainder, one can neither benefit oneself through cultivation nor benefit others by delivering sentient beings.
Five. The Sixth Patriarch said: The Buddhadharma speaks only of seeing one's nature, and does not discuss meditative concentration and liberation. Because meditative concentration and liberation are a duality, not the Buddhadharma; the Buddhadharma is the non-dual dharma.
Explanation: Our inherently possessed nature itself has concentration; it is constantly in concentration and has never left it. If one additionally cultivates a concentration, that concentration is the concentration of the perceiving mind, the false mind — not the original concentration of true suchness. The later-cultivated concentration and the original concentration of true suchness are two kinds of concentration, not one; therefore the later-cultivated concentration is a duality distinct from true suchness, not a dharma inherently possessed by true suchness.
Liberation is the same. True suchness is itself liberated; no ignorance can bind it, no birth-and-death can bind it, and it does not seek liberation. Only the perceiving mind, the false mind, needs to seek liberation — and it can indeed attain liberation. Therefore the liberation of the perceiving mind and the liberation inherently possessed by true suchness are two dharmas; hence the liberation of the perceiving mind is not the inherently possessed Buddhadharma.
Buddha-nature is the wondrous true-suchness nature arising from the tathāgatagarbha. All the dharmas sentient beings contact and perceive are Buddha-nature, all are the wondrous true-suchness nature of the tathāgatagarbha, and no substantial thing exists. Buddha-nature manifests when the six faculties contact the six sense objects, and therefore it constantly exists; but if one faculty is lacking, or that faculty does not contact an object and no consciousness arises to discern it, Buddha-nature does not manifest through that faculty, but manifests through other faculties contacting objects — therefore Buddha-nature is also not constant.
Although it is neither constant nor impermanent, Buddha-nature is never interrupted. Buddha-nature manifests in wholesome dharmas and also manifests in unwholesome dharmas, exerting wondrous functions; therefore Buddha-nature is neither wholesome nor unwholesome. The five aggregates and eighteen realms are regarded by ordinary beings as two dharmas, but the wise who have seen the Path thoroughly understand that they are all the wondrous true-suchness nature of the tathāgatagarbha, all Buddha-nature — therefore they too are the non-dual dharma.
Six. The Sixth Patriarch said: 心平何劳持戒，行直何用参禅。
Explanation: "A mind at peace" means treating all the people, affairs, things, and principles of the world with equanimity, impartially, without distinguishing wholesome and unwholesome, true and false, good and bad (kuśala-akuśala, satya-mithyā, śubha-aśubha), right and wrong, without distinguishing gender, age, race, culture, power, status, poverty or wealth — whether a Buddha or a hell-being, whether doing good or doing evil, whether the superior realm of the heavens or the inferior realm of hell — treating all equally without discrimination, impartially.
How to treat equally? Toward these dharmas, [this mind] manifests and actualizes everything truthfully in accordance with the principle of cause and effect, giving whatever needs to be given: for doing evil, giving the seed of doing evil; for doing good, giving the seed of doing good; for creating the heavens, giving the seed of the heavens; for creating hell, giving the seed of hell — without the slightest hesitation, without subjective acts of liking or disliking, without subjective agency. Toward Buddhas it makes offerings according to the Dharma; toward beings of the evil destinies it also makes offerings according to the Dharma; it assists wholesome conduct and also assists unwholesome conduct, treating all equally, then equally and truthfully records everything, and equally and truthfully actualizes the retributions.
This mind has no subjective agency and does not wish to deliberately fabricate anything; it has no ideas of its own and completely accords with conditions; therefore it need not keep any precepts. Only a mind [of the ordinary kind] needs to keep precepts; a mind [of this kind] need not. This is the true meaning of "with the mind at peace, why bother keeping precepts." Then which mind is this mind? Contemplate: can our false mind, the seven evolving consciousnesses, do this? No matter how pure the seven consciousnesses are cultivated to be, however non-discriminating, they cannot do it.
Because the minds of the seven consciousnesses always discriminate — their essential nature is discriminative. If the seven evolving consciousnesses were made not to discriminate, how would the world be established, how would the body of the five aggregates survive, and how would the Buddha Way be cultivated and brought to completion? If the false mind merely accorded with conditions — creating wholesome karma following wholesome conditions and unwholesome karma following unwholesome conditions — when would cultivation ever succeed and liberation be attained? If the false mind rejoiced in doing good and equally rejoiced in doing evil, neither punishing evil nor promoting good, neither actively assisting good nor eliminating evil, what would the world become, and how could one even speak of cultivation? As for other aspects, careful reflection will make them clear.
Therefore the truly equanimous mind is not the false mind of the seven evolving consciousnesses; the mind that can accord with all conditions is not the seven evolving consciousnesses; the mind that need not keep precepts is not the seven evolving consciousnesses — because even bodhisattvas cultivated to the bhūmi stages still need to keep precepts, and still have the precepts of meditative concentration and the precepts of the Path. Excluding the mind of the seven evolving consciousnesses, what remains is the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha — it truly possesses these merits and qualities: equanimous, according with conditions, and free from keeping precepts.
"With conduct straight, what use is investigating Chan?" Whose mental conduct is the straightest? It can truthfully actualize all cause and effect without the slightest ambiguity: whatever things should be, it lets them be; whatever the world should look like, it manifests that appearance; whatever form the body of the five aggregates should take, it manifests that form. Toward all people, affairs, things, and principles it has no devious or crooked mental conduct, never beating around the bush to conceal something or praise something. It always acts according to the truth of facts, fulfilling its own responsibilities. What mind is this? The false mind of the seven evolving consciousnesses cannot do this; it always wants to change something, always hopes that all people, affairs, things, and principles will unfold according to its own cognition and intentions, and is pleased only when things conform to its own thoughts and will.
But the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha, is not like this: it has no views or opinions of its own — things are simply as they are, perfectly straight. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: "The direct mind is the place of practice (bodhimaṇḍa)." The true mind, the tathāgatagarbha, is a vast bodhimaṇḍa; the worlds of the ten directions are all within it.
Now consider investigating Chan: the purpose of investigating Chan is to attain enlightenment and realize the tathāgatagarbha, to break ignorance. The false mind of the seven evolving consciousnesses has ignorance, does not know its own falsity, does not know where the mind of true suchness is, and therefore needs to investigate Chan and see the mind. The true mind, the tathāgatagarbha, has no ignorance and needs no breaking of ignorance; therefore the tathāgatagarbha of self-nature has no need to investigate Chan and awaken to the Way. So "with conduct straight, what use is investigating Chan" describes the essential nature of the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha. The Sixth Patriarch was one of great enlightenment, thoroughly clear about the essential nature of the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha; all his teachings revolved around true suchness, expounding the principle of true suchness, never circling around the false mind of the seven consciousnesses.
Because one recognizes true suchness and understands the essential nature of the mind of true suchness, the false mind will naturally change, gradually relying on the essential nature of the mind of true suchness and transforming its own mental conduct. Once one recognizes true suchness, afflictions are no longer a big problem; the three kinds of ignorance will sooner or later be utterly broken, and the Buddha Way will be perfectly accomplished. The first step, realizing the true suchness of the tathāgatagarbha, is the hardest; once through the gate, one can engage in insider's matters and speak insider's words, and only then gradually become attuned to the mind of true suchness, attuned to the Buddha's mind. We should skillfully discern the intent of the patriarchs, skillfully understand the meaning of the Dharma, skillfully apply the mind, and skillfully practice.
Seven. The Sixth Patriarch said: 外离相即禅，内不乱即定。
Explanation: "Marks" include the marks of the five aggregates — form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness — and the marks of the eighteen realms — the six faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses; the six objects include the objects of form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma; the universe and the worlds of the ten directions are all marks, all within the six objects. After contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and reflection, one knows that only the tathāgatagarbha is without these marks; the tathāgatagarbha fundamentally has no marks in terms of outward form and appearance — this is the meaning of "externally free from all marks."
"Internally undisturbed": the mind does not face the six objects, does not attach to the six objects, therefore does not discriminate and does not give rise to mental activity; so when the realms of the six objects present themselves before it, the mind of the tathāgatagarbha is undisturbed. And the definition of Chan (dhyāna) is precisely the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha; investigating Chan means investigating the tathāgatagarbha and seeing the mind of the tathāgatagarbha. Thus "externally free from marks — that is Chan (dhyāna); internally undisturbed — that is concentration (samādhi)" describes the essential nature of the tathāgatagarbha. Likewise, "the equal cultivation of Samādhi and Prajñā" and "Samādhi and Prajñā as one essence" all describe the essential nature of the tathāgatagarbha.
The entire Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch describes the essential nature of the true-suchness mind of the tathāgatagarbha — of this there is no doubt. The Dharma taught by one of great enlightenment does not contradict what the Buddha taught; he breathes through the same nostrils as the Buddha. It is not like the gradual-cultivation dharma gate of Monk Shenxiu, in which the false mind of the seven consciousnesses must subdue afflictions, cultivate precepts, concentration, and wisdom, and constantly and diligently watch its own false mind so as not to create karmic actions or give rise to mental activity. The Sixth Patriarch's dharma gate of sudden enlightenment does not speak this way.
"To begin cultivation is all false movement; to hold fast is not true essence." Cultivation is what the false mind of the seven evolving consciousnesses of the five-aggregate body must do; because the minds of the seven consciousnesses have ignorance, they must cultivate in order to break ignorance. But the tathāgatagarbha itself is perfect and ultimate, without ignorance, and therefore need not cultivate. So what cultivates is the false mind of the seven consciousnesses; through cultivation the seven consciousnesses eliminate evil and increase good, unwholesome karma is extinguished, and ignorance is utterly ended.
Therefore all beginning of cultivation is the conduct of the false mind of the seven consciousnesses — it is false movement; giving rise to mind is all false movement. As for the mind that guards — guarding the mind, guarding the precepts, whatever it guards — it is the false mind of the seven consciousnesses that guards. The true mind guards nothing; it is not a guarding mind, because it has no clinging nature and does not face the realms of the six objects, so there is nothing to guard. Therefore "to hold fast is not true essence": what holds fast is not the true mind holding, so it is not true essence.
Eight. The Sixth Patriarch said: 自性觉源体，随照枉迁流，不入祖师室，茫然趣两头。
Explanation: The self-natured pure mind is the essence of awakening and also the source of the myriad dharmas; it flows along with the false thoughts of the minds of the seven consciousnesses — when the seven consciousnesses give rise to mind, it responds and cooperates accordingly; it flows along with the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the five aggregates — whenever the body, speech, and mind do anything, it responds and cooperates with the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the five aggregates. Thus it vainly, causelessly flows along with false dharmas. Itself it has neither joy nor sorrow nor worry, neither good nor evil, receives neither suffering nor pleasure, gains nothing and loses nothing, neither grasps nor relinquishes.
If one does not enter the patriarch's chamber, attain seeing the mind, find the source of life, and recognize the unborn-and-undying true essence, one will forever remain lost in the two extremes of existence and nonexistence, annihilation and eternity, arising and ceasing, heading toward the birth-and-death transmigration of the six destinies, unable to escape afflictions and attain liberation. From this one knows: if one finds a true patriarch and studies under him, one can quickly attain sudden awakening; but if one studies with someone who does not understand the Way, not seeking a true enlightened master possessing the Way to study under, the result will be falling either into existence or into inert emptiness/misapprehended emptiness (jaḍa-śūnyatā), unable to attain liberation. One must know that a "famous master" and an "enlightened master" differ as heaven from earth — their substance and essence differ, and the gap is enormous.
Nine. The Sixth Patriarch said: 一切诸法若无常者，即物物皆有自性，容受生死，而真常性有不遍之处。故吾说常者，正是佛说真无常义。
Explanation: Self-nature produced all dharmas, and the essence of all dharmas is also self-nature; self-nature is constant, and all dharmas, being dependent on self-nature, are therefore also constant. If all dharmas were impermanent, then all dharmas would have their own self-substance, able to arise and perish by themselves; they would not be produced by self-nature, nor would they need self-nature to produce them — then self-nature would have places it does not pervade. However, this is impossible; therefore all dharmas, being dependent on self-nature, all partake of the constancy of the true-suchness self-nature. If even one dharma were impermanent, that dharma would have its own self-substance, for only with self-substance can there be talk of birth and death — then would true suchness not have a place it does not pervade, a dharma it cannot produce?
All dharmas, spoken of in terms of the true-suchness self-nature, are all of true-suchness nature, unborn and undying. Because these dharmas are all produced by the true-suchness self-nature and all possess true-suchness nature, all dharmas are also constantly existing and undying. As long as there is true-suchness self-nature, there will always be the appearance of all dharmas; if all dharmas were impermanent, then once perished they could not arise again; not being able to arise would mean the true-suchness self-nature ceases to function and cannot produce dharmas — that would be the true-suchness self-nature having a place it does not pervade. However, this is impossible: the true-suchness self-nature pervades all places; every place and every dharma is the true-suchness self-nature; where there are all dharmas there is the true-suchness self-nature. Moreover, the seeds inherently present in true suchness are unborn and undying, existing forever; whenever they meet conditions, they give rise to all dharmas.
The Sixth Patriarch's meaning is: if all dharmas were impermanent, then every thing would have its own self-substance; these things could arise and perish by themselves, in ceaseless arising and ceasing; then they would not need the true-suchness self-nature to produce them, and self-nature would have places it does not pervade — this would contradict the meaning of the sūtras. Therefore when the Sixth Patriarch says all dharmas are constant, this is precisely the true meaning of impermanence taught by the Buddha. That all dharmas are constant shows that all dharmas are produced and revealed by self-nature; then all dharmas have no self-substance of their own, and therefore are impermanent.
Ten. The Sixth Patriarch said: 佛法在世间，不离世间觉，离世觅菩提，恰如求兔角。
Explanation: The Sixth Patriarch's meaning is that the tathāgatagarbha, this Buddhadharma, exists and operates within the world of the five aggregates and eighteen realms. If one wishes to see the mind, attain enlightenment, and find the tathāgatagarbha, one must search within the five aggregates; leaving the world of the five aggregates, the tathāgatagarbha cannot be found, and then enlightenment is impossible. Apart from the five aggregates and eighteen realms there is no world of the three realms; then how could the tathāgatagarbha, this Buddhadharma, exert its functions? The World-Honored One, in the dharma of the ten links of dependent origination in the Āgama sūtras, taught: 识缘名色，名色缘识。Consciousness and name-and-form are like two bundles of reeds leaning against each other, able to manifest through mutual dependence; name-and-form arises in dependence on the tathāgatagarbha, and the tathāgatagarbha depends on name-and-form for its functions to manifest, so that bodhisattvas can discover and realize it. In the Platform Sūtra, the Sixth Patriarch hardly ever taught any worldly dharma apart from the tathāgatagarbha — let alone "chicken soup for the soul."
