The Tathāgatagarbha, Conditioned by Dependent Origination, Manifests Material Phenomena through the Four Great Elements

The Tathagatagarbha manifests the five aggregates body or transforms the material body based on karmic conditions. If it relied solely on the four great elements within the Tathagatagarbha, then parental conditions would be unnecessary, and indeed no conditions at all would be required. In that case, all sentient beings would be entirely identical, and all worlds and material phenomena would be completely uniform. The Tathagatagarbha's manifestation of the three realms' receptacle world and the five aggregates body would not require the presence of manas or the six consciousnesses. Consequently, the world would be homogeneous, and there would be no mention of distinctions in karmic force or among sentient beings. The Tathagatagarbha would then become the sovereign consciousness, with the world generated by its sovereign will, thereby endowing the Tathagatagarbha with self-nature rather than being non-self.