All Dharmas Are the Tathāgatagarbha Nature

In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha refuted the naturalist heterodoxy and also refuted the causal-condition heterodoxy. All dharmas return to the true Dharma—the Tathāgatagarbha. The arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of all dharmas may seem to follow their own laws, but in reality, they are all governed by the Tathāgatagarbha. Without the birthing and sustaining function of the Tathāgatagarbha, not a single phenomenon of arising, abiding, changing, or ceasing would exist for any dharma. Let alone chemical actions or physical actions—in essence, all are functions of the Tathāgatagarbha. Without the material form dharmas manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha and the seven consciousness minds, without the mental dharmas of the seven consciousnesses, where would there be any such false dharmas as momentum, flux, and the like, which are unrelated to the mind?

The phenomena of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of material form dharmas can only be understood in their essence through the wisdom of consciousness-only seeds possessed by Bodhisattvas on the bhūmis. This is perceived by the Dharma eye, not something that ordinary beings or Bodhisattvas who have merely realized the mind’s nature can truly discern or observe. The wisdom of consciousness-only seeds of Bodhisattvas on the bhūmis enables them to observe that on every single dharma, there is the specific operation of the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha is the puppeteer of all dharmas. Ordinary beings only see the puppets performing a play; they cannot see the mechanism behind the puppets. Yet precisely, ordinary beings are self-righteous, regarding the operation of the puppets as real, as having self-nature, and even claiming that there is no string pulling the puppets from behind—that the puppets operate by themselves. This shows that sentient beings are obscured by ignorance and cannot see the substance and essence of things.

To become a Bodhisattva, without generating the great mind and without cultivating merit and virtue, one fundamentally cannot become a Bodhisattva. The true meaning of the Dharma cannot be grasped at all; there will be no correct understanding. Then one ends up labeling heterodoxy as orthodoxy and orthodoxy as heterodoxy. Inverting right and wrong, confusing the Buddha Dharma. How many have truly generated the Bodhisattva mind? Without the Bodhisattva mind, there can be no correct understanding of the Buddha Dharma, no right knowledge and view. Simple issues remain unresolved for years. If scientists, divorced from the wisdom of the Buddha Dharma, could attain Buddhahood, then we could learn from scientists instead of learning the Buddha Dharma. Why not diligently study and delve into the supremely profound Śūraṅgama Sūtra taught by the Buddha, but instead study the atheism of scientists? Is this the conduct of a Bodhisattva?

"All phenomena are created by the mind alone" and "All dharmas are the nature of Tathāgatagarbha"—these two statements were spoken by the Buddha. If one believes the Buddha’s words, then explain them. See whether the Buddha is right or scientists are right. Some speak of the "first cause heterodoxy"—is the Buddha the first cause heterodoxy? If the Buddha is the first cause heterodoxy, then we, as disciples of the Buddha, must all become first cause heterodoxies. Is the view that "all phenomena are created by the mind alone" the view of the first cause heterodoxy?

Explain the statement "All phenomena are created by the mind alone." Explain the statement in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra that "All dharmas are the nature of Tathāgatagarbha." Why do Buddhists not carefully contemplate the heterodox dharmas refuted in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra? The Buddha stated that the view of material phenomena arising naturally is the naturalist heterodoxy. The view that all dharmas arise due to causes and conditions, not due to the Tathāgatagarbha, is the causal-condition heterodoxy. Finally, the Buddha concluded: All dharmas are the nature of Tathāgatagarbha; they are born from the Tathāgatagarbha.

If one studies the Buddha Dharma yet does not accept the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, does not accept the Buddha’s words—what path is this? Contending with the Buddha, contradicting the sutras—what path is this? Draw your own conclusion.