The Perceiving-Aspect and Object-Aspect of Tathāgatagarbha

The discerning nature of the tathāgatagarbha is extremely powerful; there is no dharma that the tathāgatagarbha cannot discern, because the tathāgatagarbha manifests and upholds all dharmas. If the tathāgatagarbha could not discern, it would be unable to manifest, transform, and uphold all dharmas. Whatever the tathāgatagarbha cannot discern is a dharma that does not exist. As long as something exists in the mundane world, appearing in phenomena, the tathāgatagarbha can discern it.

As long as the tathāgatagarbha can discern, there is a perceiving-aspect, and the tathāgatagarbha has the nature of seeing. This nature of seeing is the tathāgatagarbha's own capacity for knowing and grasping, the function of the mental factor of conception. Where there is a perceiving-aspect, there must be an object of perception; the objects perceived by the tathāgatagarbha are all dharmas—not one can be lacking—all are seen. Moreover, whether it is the perceiving-aspect or the object-aspect, both are the tathāgatagarbha itself; without any remainder of dharma, they are all inner representations within the mind of the tathāgatagarbha, and thus all are the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha does not need to look outward; He does not see external dharmas, He only sees His own mind. In essence, in the ultimate sense, there is no object-aspect; everything is the substance of the tathāgatagarbha itself, including the seeds. If there were no object-aspect, the tathāgatagarbha would also have no perceiving-aspect, and the perceiving-aspect would be meaningless—what would He see? He sees Himself.