Lecture Notes on the Sūtra of the Collection of the Father and Son (Pitāputrasamāgamanasūtra) (42)

The seeds of the fire element are formless and without appearance, and the tathāgatagarbha itself is also formless and without appearance. If something with form and appearance were stored within the formless and appearanceless tathāgatagarbha, could it be stored there? First, it could not be stored; second, even if it could be stored, the tathāgatagarbha would then become something with form and appearance, and it could be seen with the eyes and touched with the hands—realizing the tathāgatagarbha would then be extremely easy, and everyone could become an enlightened bodhisattva. The tathāgatagarbha is not some bag or vessel; He is formless and without appearance, and cannot store a material body with form. Yet He can manifest and produce the material body—this is truly inconceivable. It is inconceivable because we lack wisdom; when our wisdom is complete, it can be conceived of. The Buddha has wisdom, and the Buddha can conceive of it. When we study Buddhism and manifest great wisdom, in the end all dharmas can be conceived of—no problem at all, no need for surprise, no need for wonder, and no longer confused and deluded.

Not knowing the true reality is being confused and deluded, believing that all dharmas are worthy of craving and grasping, and as a result one drifts in the bitter ocean of birth and death, unable to escape. Knowing the true reality of all dharmas, one is no longer confused and deluded. When one has wisdom, one must recognize the truth and no longer be deluded and attached to false appearances.