How can sentient beings recognize truth?

The World-Honored One then further expounded: The Tathagata has no place from which He comes, nor any place to which He goes; therefore, He is called the Tathagata. "Has no place from which He comes" means there is no location that serves as the source from which the Tathagata emerges; thus, He has no origin. Although He has no origin, the Tathagata nevertheless manifests everywhere and at all times, appearing without a body yet never hidden. This Tathagata, having no place of origin, is unborn, inherently present, independent of other conditions, free and self-sovereign; this Tathagata is the true Tathagata. "Nor any place to which He goes" — "place" refers to a destination — means there is no location to which He departs; this is non-extinction. Non-extinction means He exists at all times and in all places, manifests at all times and in all places, functions at all times and in all places; this Tathagata is the true Tathagata. The true Tathagata has no appearance of coming or going, yet comes and goes; though coming and going, He remains perfectly still, majestic and dignified, thus come and thus gone, neither coming nor going, neither arising nor ceasing.

To enable sentient beings to recognize the true Tathagata, the World-Honored One and Manjushri performed a skit to demonstrate the true meaning of the Tathagata to the monks. Once, after the monks were all seated in the lecture hall, the World-Honored One pushed open the door, and the thirty-two marks of the five aggregates suddenly manifested majestically before the assembly. The World-Honored One then walked with goose-king steps, slowly proceeding to the Dharma seat, and gradually sat down cross-legged. After the World-Honored One was seated cross-legged, Manjushri Bodhisattva took a gavel, struck the lectern, and announced: "The World-Honored One's discourse has concluded!" The monks, prepared to listen to the World-Honored One expound the Dharma, were suddenly stunned upon hearing Manjushri's announcement, bewildered by its meaning. Ignoring the monks' confusion, the World-Honored One slowly rose from the Dharma seat, calmly walked directly to the door, pushed it open, and departed; the thirty-two marks of the five aggregates then vanished.

Honored assembly, you have now witnessed the Tathagata form of the Nirmanakaya Buddha — the thirty-two marks, the eighty characteristics, majestic and dignified, splendid and magnificent, profoundly majestic. Yet these appearances, in the Saha World, after all remained for only eighty years before vanishing; this certainly is not the true Tathagata. So where is the true Tathagata? Which one is He? In truth, the Dharma Body Tathagata has never been separate from the Nirmanakaya Tathagata. From the very moment the World-Honored One pushed open the door and entered, throughout the entire process until He pushed open the door and departed, the Dharma Body Tathagata continuously manifested with His faceless countenance. Those with keen eyes perceive Him directly in that instant; with wisdom-eye, they recognize Him behind the five aggregates. How exhilarating! How effortless it is to recognize Him thus! Honored assembly, set aside the illusory form of the World-Honored One’s five aggregates, and try to perceive that which cannot be discarded, that which cannot be separated, that which is inherently unborn and unceasing, that which neither comes nor goes — that Dharma Body true Tathagata. A fine horse moves upon seeing the shadow of the whip; a wise person, seeing the shadow of the five aggregates, can recognize the true being. Where is the true being? Hah! Right here.