The Single Mirror-Reflection and Double Mirror-Reflection of Tathāgatagarbha

What each person can come into contact with is the internal, privately owned sense-object realm, which is closely connected to the external sense-object realm shared outside the mind of the seven consciousnesses. If the external shared sense-object realm changes, the private sense-object realm will inevitably undergo the same change simultaneously. The private realm represents a second幻化—illusion upon illusion. Whether external and shared or internal and private, all are illusory and false, without any reality; all are images formed by the mirror of tathāgatagarbha. It is merely that the mirror images are divided into first-order shadows and second-order shadows, and the function of the sense-object realm differs only in being a true function or a false function.

The first-order shadow is more primordial, appearing more real, clearer, and more practical. The second-order shadow is the privately owned mirror of each individual reflecting and capturing the first-order shadow, manifesting it on one's own separate mirror surface; it is not as clear, real, and practical as the first-order shadow. Yet for sentient beings, this is already extremely precious—they all treasure these second-order shadows, craving and clinging to them incessantly, grasping at them beyond measure. This is exactly how those who cannot recognize the true substance are. Of course, truly realizing the contemplation of mirror images occurs at the stage of the complete mind of the first bhūmi, at which point the dharma cultivated at the first bhūmi is brought to completion.