He now is just me; I now am not him.

The tathāgatagarbha has the nature of the tathāgatagarbha, and the aggregates, sense bases, and elements have the nature of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements; the two are entirely different. Yet the aggregates, sense bases, and elements have no self-nature of their own—all their characteristics, functions, and operations are bestowed by the tathāgatagarbha. Without the tathāgatagarbha there would be no aggregates, sense bases, or elements, but without the aggregates, sense bases, and elements the tathāgatagarbha still exists. The tathāgatagarbha can exist on its own, independent of external conditions; however, for the tathāgatagarbha to manifest, it must rely on the aggregates, sense bases, and elements—it is within the activities of the aggregates, sense bases, and elements that the tathāgatagarbha can be found.

The aggregates: the aggregate of form, the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of formations, and the aggregate of consciousness. The sense bases: the twelve sense bases, the six sense-organ bases plus the six sense-object bases. The elements: the eighteen elements—the six elements of the sense organs, the six elements of the sense objects, plus the six elements of the consciousnesses. The tathāgatagarbha manifests without departing from the places where these dharmas abide, yet it can exist apart from these dharmas. The six sense organs, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses in their entirety are the true functioning of the tathāgatagarbha; all of them are the tathāgatagarbha, yet the tathāgatagarbha is not the six sense organs, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses. "He now is precisely me; I now am not him"—this is exactly the meaning. "He" refers to the aggregates, sense bases, and elements, and "me" refers to the tathāgatagarbha: the aggregates, sense bases, and elements are the tathāgatagarbha, yet the tathāgatagarbha is not the aggregates, sense bases, and elements.