Brief Discussion on Material Elements (Draft)

Thirteen: The Image in the Mirror of Tathāgatagarbha is Also a Dharma of Form

All dharmas are classified into dharmas of form, dharmas of mind, and dharmas that are neither form nor mind. Dharmas of form are necessarily composed of the four great seeds and are what is perceived by dharmas of mind. The image seen by the discerning mind within a mirror is also a dharma of form, necessarily composed of the four great seeds, differing only in its composition from the dharmas of form outside the mirror. Dharmas of mind are the mind that discerns; the image in the mirror cannot discern, therefore it is not a dharma of mind.

The appearances outside the mirror are jointly manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings sharing collective karma. The image on the mirror is manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha of an individual sentient being based on the external appearances. The appearances outside the mirror are illusory; the image on the mirror is even more illusory. Appearances at various levels differ in the particles composed of the four great seeds, resulting in varying degrees of reality. Everything we perceive of our own physical bodies is like the image on a mirror. Is it existent or non-existent? Is it neither existent nor non-existent? Is it neither non-existent nor non-non-existent?

In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha stated that the subtle particles of the physical body and the subtle particles of the container world are non-dual and indistinguishable, composed of the same four great seeds. For example, the waste and impurities expelled daily from blood vessels and skin are exactly the same as the sand and soil of the container world; expelled sweat is exactly the same as the water in nature; the breath exhaled from the mouth, nose, and skin is exactly the same as the wind in the container world; the heat emitted from the body is exactly the same as the fire in the container world. Therefore, the four great seeds composing dharmas of form are identical; the body and the container world are non-dual and indistinguishable. When the external four great elements change, the body will correspondingly change.

The theory of nothingness of non-Buddhists, while seeing dharmas of form, claims they are nothing. Since it is nothing, why is there speech? The theory of existence of non-Buddhists, while all dharmas of form are evidently impermanent and empty, claims they are real and indestructible. The Dharma spoken by the Buddha is neither existent nor non-existent; it is both existent and non-existent; it is neither non-existent nor non-non-existent. To grasp one aspect while disregarding the others is the view of non-Buddhists. The Buddha Dharma is always comprehensive and unimpeded; whether explained one way or another, it remains coherent. Whereas non-Buddhist theories are always unable to justify themselves and are self-contradictory.