What Is "Accordance with the Nature of Awakening" in the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment?

Original text of the Complete Enlightenment Sūtra: “善男子！但诸菩萨及末世众生，居一切时不起妄念，于诸妄心亦不息灭，住妄想境不加了知，于无了知不辨真实。彼诸众生闻是法门，信解受持不生惊畏。是则名为随顺觉性。善男子！汝等当知！如是众生已曾供养百千万亿恒河沙诸佛及大菩萨，植众德本；佛说是人名为成就一切种智。”

Explanation: This refers to the self-abiding realm of the tathāgatagarbha; it describes the nature of the tathāgatagarbha, not the realm that the seven consciousnesses should abide in. The nature of the tathāgatagarbha is that, at all times, it never gives rise to deluded thoughts, yet it also never extinguishes the deluded minds of the seven consciousnesses. The tathāgatagarbha manifests in all kinds of deluded states of realm, but the tathāgatagarbha never knows these deluded realms; nor does the tathāgatagarbha know that it does not know these deluded realms. As for its own not-knowing, the tathāgatagarbha never discriminates its reality, being unaware that it has such a nature. Only bodhisattvas possessing the wisdom of the varieties of paths can understand these subtle and profound aspects of the tathāgatagarbha's nature; therefore, this is the accordance with the nature of awakening of bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmis.

To recognize and accept this realm of the tathāgatagarbha's nature is itself practice; one who truly reaches this realm is a Buddha. That is a world of rationality—the realm of the tathāgatagarbha. The cognizing mind of a great bodhisattva cannot achieve this, let alone that of an ordinary being. As stated above, "hearing this Dharma gate"—this is a Dharma gate, the Dharma gate of the tathāgatagarbha. To be able to have faith in, understand, accept, and practice this Dharma gate of the tathāgatagarbha is the accordance with the nature of awakening of bodhisattvas who have entered the bhūmis; only bodhisattvas who have attained the bhūmis can truly understand and accord with it. When this accordance with the nature of awakening reaches perfection, it is the perfectly awakened nature of all Buddhas. At this point, such a sentient being has already made offerings to hundreds of thousands of myriads of kotis of Buddhas and great bodhisattvas, and only then can he realize the wisdom of all aspects (sarvākārajñatā) and perfectly accomplish the Buddha Way.