Understanding the Principle of Tathāgatagarbha’s Illusory Manifestations Enhances Wisdom

The Tathāgatagarbha manifests some dharmas as objects, then manifests consciousness, and consciousness further gives rise to the discriminative function, thereby cognizing the dharmas as objects. During this process, the dharmas as objects do not come, consciousness does not go, yet the cognition of the perceived realm occurs. All dharmas neither come nor go; arising and ceasing are also illusory appearances, and all dharmas neither arise nor cease.

Understanding the principle of the Tathāgatagarbha's illusory manifestations will increase wisdom. The more wisdom one gains, the more one realizes how profoundly ignorant one was in the past, clinging to all dharmas without reason. Things that seemed extremely precious in the past now appear not worth mentioning; matters that seem vitally important now will also appear insignificant when wisdom increases in the future.