Tathāgatagarbha and All Dharmas Are Neither Identical nor Different

The tathāgatagarbha outputs the seeds of the four great elements to generate a certain kind of material form, just as gold is forged into a golden basin: when something needs to be held, the golden basin is used. When golden kitchenware is needed, the golden basin is of no use; the golden basin is melted down, and golden kitchenware is forged once again.

The tathāgatagarbha is also like this: when this kind of material form ceases, the seeds of the four great elements flow back into the tathāgatagarbha; when other material forms are needed, the tathāgatagarbha once again outputs the seeds of the four great elements to generate other material forms. Therefore it is said that all dharmas are the tathāgatagarbha, neither identical to nor different from the tathāgatagarbha; each has its function, each has its nature, each has its mark, and each has its essence. Yet the nature of all dharmas is determined by the tathāgatagarbha, the marks of all dharmas are determined by the tathāgatagarbha, the essence of all dharmas is established by the tathāgatagarbha, and the functions of all dharmas are endowed by the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore all dharmas are the tathāgatagarbha, and they are neither identical to it nor different from it.

The tathāgatagarbha neither arises nor ceases; the seeds of the seven great elements neither arise nor cease. All dharmas appear to arise and cease, but at their root they also neither arise nor cease—when they cease they arise again; what harm is there in ceasing and then arising? As long as there is the tathāgatagarbha and the seeds of the seven great elements, no dharma ever ceases permanently—what harm is there in existing intermittently?