What Is the Meaning of "Permanence" as Spoken by the Buddha?

The "permanence" spoken of by the Buddha refers to a true existence, a real presence that is eternally uncreated and indestructible, unchanging and immutable, without beginning or end, never ceasing for even an instant. This is the Tathagatagarbha, the immaculate consciousness. It is fundamentally different from the "eternal self" (atman) spoken of by non-Buddhist paths. The "eternal self" proposed by non-Buddhists is the mind of consciousness, a phenomenon subject to birth, death, and change; mistaking this deluded mind of consciousness for an eternally unchanging true self constitutes the heresy of eternalism. Fundamental Buddha Dharma always takes the Tathagatagarbha as its starting point to unfold all dharmas and give rise to all phenomena. Any teaching divorced from this Tathagatagarbha is either eternalism or nihilism, both being non-Buddhist doctrines. That which is eternally immutable is permanent. At the stage of Buddhahood, the immaculate consciousness no longer contains the defiled seeds of the seven consciousnesses; the seeds no longer undergo transformation, thus the immaculate consciousness is permanent.

Within our present Tathagatagarbha, the defiled seeds of the seven consciousnesses contained within it continuously undergo change and transformation; they are not fixed. Consequently, they burden the Tathagatagarbha, preventing the seeds contained within it from remaining immutable. Therefore, the Tathagatagarbha of sentient beings is neither permanent nor impermanent. The verse, "There was a thing before heaven and earth, formless and inherently serene," speaks precisely of the Tathagatagarbha. The Tathagatagarbha truly exists; it is prior to all things and the sovereign of all things. Therefore, one cannot say that the Tathagatagarbha is merely a nominal concept or merely a designation. It possesses real functional attributes, capable of giving birth to all dharmas and all phenomena. It is a real entity, though it is formless.