The Process of Accomplishing the Wisdom of All Aspects of All Buddhas

Gold has the nature of gold; gold is analogous to the tathāgatagarbha, and the nature of gold is analogous to the nature of the tathāgatagarbha, which is also equivalent to the nature of suchness (tathatā). Gold basins, gold bowls, and gold jewelry are all fashioned from gold, and all possess the nature of gold—or one may say they all are the nature of gold. By the same token, all dharmas that the tathāgatagarbha creates and manifests possess the nature of suchness; that is to say, they all possess the nature of the tathāgatagarbha. Knowing that gold basins and gold bowls are made of gold, one does not at first know that they are made of one hundred percent pure gold—that every single particle of dust, inside and out, is gold and possesses the properties of gold. Over time, through continuous observation and verification of the gold basins and bowls, one comes to know more and more about the properties of gold, becoming increasingly certain of the gold content and purity of the basins and bowls. Finally, one fully verifies that the gold basins and bowls are made entirely of pure gold—one hundred percent gold—possessing all the properties of gold, and can be treated completely as gold.  

This process is the same as the process of attaining the wisdom of the general characteristic, the wisdom of specific characteristics, the wisdom of the varieties of paths, and the wisdom of all aspects after realizing the tathāgatagarbha. At the moment of enlightenment, when one first realizes the tathāgatagarbha within the five aggregates, it is like just having learned that the gold basins and bowls are made of gold, containing a certain degree of the nature of gold, but not yet knowing to what degree of purity the gold is. After the wisdom of specific characteristics arises, one then carefully observes and verifies the tathāgatagarbha within all dharmas, observing more and more of the nature of the tathāgatagarbha within all dharmas. After observing to a certain point, one realizes that all dharmas possess one portion of the suchness-nature of the tathāgatagarbha, and one enters the first bhūmi. After continuing to observe and verify upon all dharmas, one realizes that all dharmas perfectly and completely possess the suchness-nature of the tathāgatagarbha—realizing the full ten parts of the suchness-nature, the complete满分 suchness-nature, with suchness filling one's eyes—and at this point one becomes a Buddha. As for those who do not recognize gold, they see only basins and bowls and do not see the gold; they can only be poor vagabonds, guarding the gold while begging for a living—how pitiable. When ordinary beings (pṛthagjana) guard the tathāgatagarbha within their own bodies yet do not recognize the tathāgatagarbha, acknowledging only the body of the five aggregates, then they can only undergo transmigration through the six realms of rebirth—how much more pitiable that is.