Learning Buddhism: One Should Learn to Distinguish True Dharma from False Dharma

Every link in the twelve links of dependent origination is unborn, is not real, is illusory, and can only exist by relying on the tathāgatagarbha. Although there is表面上 arising, although the marks exist, in essence there is nothing. But behind all this, there truly is a real dharma existing; otherwise, illusory dharmas would not exist. Whether we grasp at this true reality or not, whether we acknowledge it or not, He truly exists. If you grasp at Him, He is there; if you do not grasp at Him, He is still there. He has nothing to do with whether we grasp at Him, whether we crave Him, or whether we acknowledge Him. Even if we cannot see Him or find Him, He still exists and always performs His inherent functions.

Therefore, in learning Buddhism, we should separate the true and the false—these two natures—separate them thoroughly and completely, and only then can we recognize the essence of things. Do not discuss them mixed together; if you discuss them mixed together, you will recognize neither the true nor the false, taking the true as false and the false as true. When these are mixed together and not distinguished, the great matter of birth and death will not be resolved. The fundamental reason sentient beings cannot realize the Way is that the true dharma and the false dharma have not been separated, and the natures of the two have not been clearly understood; thus their views are wrong and their wisdom does not open.

For example, in the twelve links of dependent origination, "name-and-form conditions the six sense bases, and the six sense bases condition contact." This means that only because there is name-and-form are there the six sense faculties and the six sense bases. Why does the existence of name-and-form entail the six sense bases? Where do the six sense bases come from? These six sense bases and six sense faculties certainly did not fall from the sky, nor did they grow out naturally; they must have been produced by the tathāgatagarbha on the basis of name-and-form, on the fertilized egg. In this way, the preceding link is the condition that can induce the arising of the next link, and the next link is produced by the tathāgatagarbha, availing itself of the condition of the preceding link.

Next, consider "the six sense bases condition contact, and contact conditions feeling." Because there are the six sense bases, there is contact. Can the six sense bases and six sense faculties actively touch anything? Not at all; it is only because the tathāgatagarbha is behind them that the six sense bases contact the objects of the six sense objects. Contact conditions feeling: because there is contact, when the six sense faculties contact the six sense objects, there is feeling. So where does feeling come from? Who has the feeling? After the six sense faculties contact the six sense objects, the six sense faculties cannot give rise to feeling, nor can the six sense faculties have feeling; the six sense objects cannot give rise to feeling, nor can the six sense objects have feeling; contact cannot give rise to feeling, nor can it have feeling. Feeling does not come from contact at all, because contact itself is not a real entity—it is an illusory entity and cannot produce feeling. There must be something that is unborn and unceasing, something that possesses seeds, for it to be able to produce feeling. So this feeling, too, comes from the tathāgatagarbha.

To summarize the twelve links of dependent origination: each of its twelve links comes from the tathāgatagarbha and is born from the tathāgatagarbha. One link is the condition for the next link, and the cause is the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, in the twelve links of dependent origination, all twelve links are conditions, and within each of them there is a cause, and the cause is the tathāgatagarbha. Finally, the Buddha summarized it in one phrase: "Consciousness conditions name-and-form, and name-and-form conditions consciousness." This consciousness refers to the ālayavijñāna. The ālayavijñāna depends on name-and-form in order to manifest and function, and name-and-form depends on the ālayavijñāna in order to be born and exist. The ālayavijñāna can condition (that is, produce and induce) name-and-form, the physical body, and the five aggregates; name-and-form arises because of this ālayavijñāna (tathāgatagarbha).