The Formation and Evolution of the Material World (Bhājanaloka) and the World of the Five Aggregates (Pañca-skandha-loka) in the Universe

"World" (世) represents transmigration, and transmigration involves the flowing change of time; "between" (间) represents geographical direction and spatial position, that is, the material world (the vessel world). "World" refers to the three periods of time—past, future, and present—representing time and representing transmigration. Both time and space are set off and manifested by material form (rūpa). Where there is no matter, there is emptiness. Before the universe was first formed, it was a vast void with nothing in it; only after the material form of the universe appeared did the vessel world come into being, only then did time manifest, and only then did the world have something to rest upon.

It is through the changes of material form that time is made manifest. After the vessel world of the universe was formed and the world of the three realms was established, the physical bodies of sentient beings could appear, and the world of the five aggregates was thereby established. All of these dharmas, including the initial vast void and nothingness, are manifested and brought forth by the tathāgatagarbha; they are all the object-aspect (nimitta) of the tathāgatagarbha, within which the perceiving-aspect (darśana-bhāga) of the tathāgatagarbha is also present. The tathāgatagarbha first perceives, and then transforms into the object-aspect. Therefore, apart from the tathāgatagarbha, everything is illusory and transformed; when all marks are extinguished, that is the one true dharma realm.