The Unconditioned Dharma Beyond Tathāgatagarbha

The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination taught by the Buddha are, in essence, all branches dependent upon the Tathagatagarbha. Apart from the Tathagatagarbha, there is no dependent origination. What ordinary people refer to as dependent arising only understands the superficial phenomenon, seemingly meaning that because this exists, that exists, or that this phenomenon gives rise to that phenomenon. In reality, it is because this phenomenon exists that the Tathagatagarbha gives rise to that phenomenon, and this phenomenon itself is also a phenomenon within the Tathagatagarbha.

Any phenomenon that departs from the Tathagatagarbha does not exist. The arising of any phenomenon is also the arising by the Tathagatagarbha, except that numerous conditions must be fulfilled for the Tathagatagarbha to give rise to that phenomenon. If one departs from the Tathagatagarbha and speaks of dependent arising, claiming that this phenomenon can produce that phenomenon, such a proposition cannot be established. For example, regarding "ignorance conditions volitional formations," ignorance itself cannot produce physical, verbal, and mental activities. It is because sentient beings have ignorance that the Tathagatagarbha of sentient beings can produce physical, verbal, and mental activities. All other links follow the same principle.