The Classification of Mundane Dharmas

Mental factors, as the name implies, refer to all dharmas belonging to the mind. Emotions, attitudes, opinions, suggestions, anxiety, irritation, jealousy, sorrow, and so forth are all dharmas arising from the mind, belonging to the mind, and thus are called mental factors. Dharmas arising from the body, belonging to the body, are accordingly called bodily factors. All dharmas pertaining to the physical body—such as falling ill, changes in weight, various alterations, the emergence of certain things, or the reduction of others—all arising, ceasing, and transformations occurring within the body are bodily factors. The physical body is divided into the inner body and the outer body. The inner body is the physical form itself, while the outer body comprises the six dusts: forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and mental objects. Together, they constitute the body of the five aggregates. The body is form (rūpa), and the dharmas arising from the body are also form; thus, all that pertains to form is form.

All worldly dharmas are categorized into form dharmas, mind dharmas, and dharmas that are neither form nor mind. Their attribution is divided into mental factors, bodily factors, and factors that are neither bodily nor mental. All these dharmas are subsumed under the Tathāgatagarbha. Once all dharmas are returned to the Tathāgatagarbha, nothing remains. What, then, are we still clinging to now? All is empty; all is illusory. Yet, the habit of clinging is too deeply ingrained, too difficult to transform. The root cause lies in not having comprehended or clearly perceived the true reality of the Dharma Realm. To thoroughly understand this matter requires three great asamkhyeya kalpas, at which point spiritual practice concludes.