The Ever-Present Dharma of Arising and Ceasing

The land of bliss (sukhāvatī) is unborn and unceasing in the Buddha's mind, as well as in the mind of any person. Apart from the true mind, all dharmas are things within the true mind; they are all transformed, generated, and manifested by the true mind, and therefore they are all subject to arising and ceasing; only the true mind is unborn and unceasing. Although the land of bliss will exist for an extremely long time, it will ultimately perish as well; it is just that we do not know how long this time will be. Originally there was no land of bliss; after Amitābha Buddha made his great vows, he established a land of bliss. Since it was established later, it is something that arose. There is no dharma in the world that, once arisen, does not perish—this is the operating law of the dharmadhātu. From another perspective, the land of bliss is manifested by the true mind and is also a part of the true mind, so it also belongs to the true.

As long as the true mind does not perish, all dharmas will always exist; even if they perish, they will arise again, for the phenomenon of all dharmas is to arise ceaselessly. It is only that individual phenomena constantly arise and perish, changing and impermanent; overall speaking, they persistently exist, because they will always appear. Regardless of whether we grasp at the land of bliss or not, the land of bliss is subject to arising and ceasing; in terms of the true mind's essence, it possesses the nature of suchness (tathatā). All dharmas perish and arise again, arise and perish again; because the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha, exists, all dharmas can arise and can perish. In the long run, the phenomenal realm will always continue to appear in the world.