Deluded Phenomena and True Dharma: Neither Identical Nor Different

The deluded mind and the true mind are neither identical nor separate; they are not completely one, yet they are interconnected. This relationship is like that between the head and the body, like that between clay and a clay figure, or like that between gold and gold jewelry. In essence, the true and the deluded are not different; the deluded arises from the true. In principle, they are the same true nature, but in appearance, the deluded still exists. This deluded aspect cannot be ignored, as it has its corresponding functions. For example, the seventh consciousness is deluded; it is produced by the Tathagatagarbha and is not different from it, yet it is not identical. If the seventh consciousness were regarded as the Tathagatagarbha, then no one would need to practice meditation to realize the Tathagatagarbha; one could simply consider the seven consciousnesses as the Tathagatagarbha and claim enlightenment. In reality, this is incorrect.

If the eye consciousness were the Tathagatagarbha, realizing the eye consciousness would be extremely easy, and realizing it would equate to realizing the Tathagatagarbha, thereby attaining enlightenment. There would be no need to study the Prajñāpāramitā or Yogācāra scriptures, for understanding the eye consciousness would mean understanding the Tathagatagarbha. Then, merely by comprehending human language and being told where the five consciousnesses are and how they function, everyone would become bodhisattvas who have realized their true nature, and sentient beings would have no need to learn Buddhism. Moreover, the Tathagatagarbha itself is liberated. If the Tathagatagarbha and the eye consciousness were one, and the eye consciousness were the Tathagatagarbha, then both the eye consciousness and the seventh consciousness would be liberated, and there would be absolutely no need to practice Buddhism. In fact, this is not the case. The true relationship is that the eye consciousness and the other seven consciousnesses are neither identical nor separate from the Tathagatagarbha; they are not completely one and the same.

If the Tathagatagarbha and the seven consciousnesses were one, then when sentient beings die, fall unconscious, or sleep, the Tathagatagarbha could replace the seven consciousnesses in perceiving, hearing, feeling, and knowing, and take over the activities of the five aggregates. If so, sentient beings could rest assured in dying, losing consciousness, or sleeping without needing to worry about waking up or reincarnating, for the Tathagatagarbha could completely take over their existence. In the state of Nirvana without residue, only the Tathagatagarbha remains. If the Tathagatagarbha and the seven consciousnesses were one, then in Nirvana without residue, the Tathagatagarbha could replace the seven consciousnesses in perceiving, hearing, feeling, and knowing. If there were perception, hearing, feeling, and knowing in Nirvana without residue, then Nirvana would not be tranquil, which would contradict the Buddha’s teaching of Nirvana as one of the Three Dharma Seals, signifying perfect stillness.

For example, a gold basin and gold are neither identical nor separate. Though both are essentially gold, they differ in form and function. When a basin is needed, gold alone is useless; the gold basin must be used, as gold cannot replace it. Similarly, after clay is formed into pottery, the pottery and the clay are neither identical nor separate. They share the same essence but differ in form and function. If they were identical, pottery would be useless for building a clay house; clay must be used instead, as the two cannot substitute for each other. If sentient beings need handicrafts, they must buy and use pottery, not clay. Thus, all deluded dharmas and true dharmas are not completely identical but are in a relationship of neither identity nor difference. They are the same yet distinct, each with its own function and role, and cannot substitute for one another.