The Tathāgatagarbha Is the True Master of All Dharmas

The dharmas discerned by the tathāgatagarbha are more numerous than the dharmas that the manas corresponds to and discerns, and the dharmas that the manas corresponds to and discerns far outnumber the dharmas that the mind consciousness corresponds to and discerns. From this, it is evident that the tathāgatagarbha gives rise to all dharmas and embraces everything; it is evident that the manas exercises its governing role over the mind consciousness, the manas being the master and representative of deluded dharmas; and it is evident that the mind consciousness is dependent in its arising (paratantra) and lacks autonomy.

Regarding the handling of all dharmas, on the surface it appears that everything is handled by the mind consciousness, but in fact it is the manas that directs and handles things behind the scenes; in essence, it is the tathāgatagarbha that handles everything through the seven intrinsically existing great seeds (earth, water, fire, wind, space, seeing, consciousness). The tathāgatagarbha is the true master of all dharmas. As for its speed of handling, the tathāgatagarbha is beyond speed—at the very moment, right then and there, never separated from dharmas even for an instant. The tathāgatagarbha handles dharmas in two ways: first, in accordance with karmic seeds; second, in accordance with the manas's aspirations and its choices regarding dharmas.

As for the parts that the manas can clearly discern, it handles them extremely quickly, completing the handling even before the mind consciousness is aware of it; the mind consciousness only learns of it afterward. For example, when minor incidents arise in the physical body, the manas can immediately deal with them, occasionally requiring the assistance of the mind consciousness. As for dharmas that the manas cannot discern clearly, it must rely on the discernment of the mind consciousness, and its handling of them must also be carried out through the mind consciousness; its speed of handling is thus slower than that of the mind consciousness. The mind consciousness, on its own, cannot handle anything; it always works in concert with the manas—either cooperating with the manas, assisting the manas, or coercing the manas. If the manas does not consent, the mind consciousness can accomplish nothing, though cases where the manas is deceived or coerced by the mind consciousness are not excluded.