The Meaning of Illuminating the Mind and Perceiving the Nature

"Ming Xin Jian Xing" (明心见性) means comprehending the mind of Tathagatagarbha, realizing the inherently pure mind of Tathagatagarbha, and perceiving the nature of Tathagatagarbha, which is to perceive the Buddha-nature. This is the deluded mind perceiving the true mind. Because the deluded mind has been shrouded in ignorance (无明), it fails to recognize the true reality of the Dharma Realm (法界实相), mistaking the world of the five aggregates (五阴世间) as real, regarding it as self and what belongs to self, thus giving rise to self-attachment (我执) and attachment to dharmas (法执). After realizing this true reality of the Dharma Realm, which is Tathagatagarbha, one comes to understand that all dharmas are manifested and revealed by Tathagatagarbha; they are not real. Thus, one gradually eradicates self-attachment and attachment to dharmas, thereby exhausting beginningless ignorance as well as the dust-like and sand-like delusions (尘沙惑), and attains the Wisdom of All Modes (一切种智).