Tathāgatagarbha's Manifestation and Sustaining of All Dharmas

Question: The superior sense faculties of the eye are composed of the four great elements and are real dharmas, which tathāgatagarbha can perceive directly. Internal sense objects, like mirror images, are provisional dharmas. Can tathāgatagarbha also perceive them? If tathāgatagarbha cannot perceive internal sense objects, how does it give rise to eye consciousness at the point of contact between the sense faculty and the object, and how does it deliver the seeds of eye consciousness to that point of contact?

Answer: All dharmas are true suchness. There is not a single dharma that is not transformed by true suchness, not perceived by true suchness, and not upheld by true suchness; their essence is entirely true suchness. Therefore, internal sense objects, the internal six sense objects, are also born from and manifested by tathāgatagarbha. Their essence is also tathāgatagarbha. Tathāgatagarbha also perceives them, and it perceives them directly and exclusively. As for the external six sense objects, they are collectively born by the tathāgatagarbha of all sentient beings with karmic connection, and are collectively perceived. Thus, the way an individual tathāgatagarbha perceives the external six sense objects differs from how it perceives the internal six sense objects.

The external six sense objects are formed after all tathāgatagarbhas emit the seeds of the four great elements, giving rise to the four great elements. All tathāgatagarbhas collectively use these four great elements to manifest and uphold them together, and their arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing occur relatively slowly. For example, the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of the Sahā World require one great kalpa, while other Buddha lands require even longer kalpas. The time for the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of various types of form dharmas used by sentient beings may range from several days, years, decades, to centuries.

The form dharmas upheld exclusively by an individual sentient being's tathāgatagarbha have a relatively shorter cycle of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing. Among these, the time for the physical body's arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing ranges from a few minutes to years, decades, centuries, or even millennia. As for the internal six sense objects within the superior sense faculties, because the objects contacted by the six sense faculties are constantly shifting, the internal six sense objects that tathāgatagarbha accordingly transmits into the superior sense faculties must also constantly change. Their arising and ceasing occur relatively more rapidly. This indicates that tathāgatagarbha must continuously switch the six sense objects, constantly causing the internal six sense objects to arise, abide, change, and cease. From this, it can be understood that the dharmas manifested exclusively by tathāgatagarbha, being subject to fewer constraints and limitations, are born and transformed more flexibly, and their arising, ceasing, and alteration occur more swiftly.