Illusory marks and false marks all have the function of falsity

True emptiness (samyag-śūnyatā) refers to the tathāgatagarbha: it is real yet empty in nature. Within His mind-body there is not a single dharma, yet He can manifest all dharmas. Wondrous existence means that although the marks of the dharmas of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) and the eighteen realms do exist, in substance they are nonexistent—they are all illusory dharmas manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. Although these illusory dharmas are illusory, one cannot say that they do not exist at all, because sentient beings are using them every instant and every moment: they use the five aggregates to eat, dress, and walk; they use the five aggregates to live. Sentient beings live within the illusory eighteen realms—what they see is false form, what they hear is false sound, what they smell is false scent, what they taste is false flavor, what they feel is false touch, and what they cognize are false dharmas. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and cognizing are all functions of the five aggregates, so the surface-level existence of the five aggregates cannot be denied.

Although the five aggregates are not a real existence, they still have the mode of illusory existence. Yet even though sentient beings clearly use the five aggregates every day, some still say the five aggregates do not exist. When one can genuinely accept in one's mind that the five aggregates are indeed illusory, that is the elimination of self-view (ahaṃkāra-mamakāra-parityāga)—may all sentient beings reach this point. If one denies even the illusory appearance of the five aggregates as nonexistent, one also cannot eliminate self-view, because without contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) upon the five aggregates and the eighteen realms, one cannot clearly see their illusory and unreal nature, and thus cannot eliminate self-view; and none of the afflictions of ignorance can then be dispelled.