Do Not Mistake the Deluded Mind for True Suchness (Tathatā)

The causal stage refers to the time before one has attained buddhahood, when one is still at the bodhisattva stages; the fruition stage refers to the stage of a buddha that has already been accomplished. The mind realized by sentient beings at the bodhisattva stage of the causal stage should be the same mind as that perfectly awakened mind at the buddha stage—it cannot be two minds. Otherwise, the causal-stage mind would not be able to reach the buddha stage; that would be a delusive mind of arising and ceasing, not the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha. The mind realized when a bodhisattva awakens to the true mind should be the true mind that neither arises nor ceases; it cannot be the seven delusive consciousnesses, which have the nature of arising and ceasing. When awakening to the mind and realizing the Way, one must awaken to what is true; one must not awaken mistakenly, for if one awakens mistakenly, one cannot attain buddhahood.

Many people, upon realizing that the mind consciousness occasionally has no delusive thoughts, conclude that this is the originally tranquil self-nature, the tathāgatagarbha. This is a grave misunderstanding. If one, in this way, takes a thief for one's own son, one will rob one's own household of its treasures, and in the end one will be utterly destitute, transmigrating in delusion, unable to attain liberation. Not only will one gain no true benefit, let alone speak of attaining buddhahood.

The true substance for attaining buddhahood is the self-nature tathāgatagarbha. This mind is never extinguished all the way to the buddha stage. The delusive mind cannot remain unchanged and unextinguished all the way to the buddha stage, nor does it possess any genuine merit—all of its functions are bestowed by the tathāgatagarbha. The mind realized at the bodhisattva stage should be the self-nature tathāgatagarbha that is originally tranquil and without delusive thoughts. One need not, through cultivation, forcibly restrain oneself from giving rise to delusive thoughts and then regard this mind that has suppressed delusive thoughts as true suchness. This false true suchness is not the true suchness at the buddha stage, which is complete with permanence, bliss, self, and purity. One must not take this thief as one's own beloved son; otherwise, one cannot attain buddhahood.