Why Must There Be Further Transformation of the Basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) After Realizing the Tathāgatagarbha for It to Be Called Realization?

Seeing the Path is divided into the seeing of the Path of the Great Vehicle and that of the Small Vehicle; it is not only the Great Vehicle that is called seeing the Path. Seeing the Path of the Great Vehicle is the realization of the tathāgatagarbha; realizing the tathāgatagarbha means seeing the trace of the Path upon which the study and practice of the Great Vehicle depends. It is not that after realizing the tathāgatagarbha, one must further accomplish the transformation of the basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) as an additional step for it to count as enlightenment; the very moment of seeing the tathāgatagarbha is itself realization. As for the transformation of the basis, after enlightenment there is indeed a need for gradual transformation of the basis. When the transformation of the basis is accomplished, one's mental disposition approaches the purity of the tathāgatagarbha, afflictions are eliminated, and in terms of wisdom one possesses the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only. In this way one enters the house of the Tathāgata and becomes a true child of the Buddha.

If it is said that only the accomplishment of the transformation of the basis counts as seeing one's true mind and enlightenment, then the realization of the tathāgatagarbha would not be enlightenment. Since it would not be enlightenment, there would be no realization of the tathāgatagarbha; rather, one would merely intellectually deduce that a tathāgatagarbha exists. A tathāgatagarbha arrived at by intellectual deduction carries no benefit of its merits, and so one would then need to compare one's bodily, verbal, and mental actions against the purity of the tathāgatagarbha, restraining the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the seven consciousnesses. When the restraint reaches a certain degree, such that one no longer creates evil karma out of afflictions, that would count as enlightenment. But such restraint, without genuine enlightenment, can never succeed; and thus the so-called transformation of the basis would likewise never succeed. For without enlightenment, how could the transformation of the basis ever be accomplished? And after enlightenment, why would one need to further accomplish the transformation of the basis, and then establish that as enlightenment? Is this not a very contradictory problem? 

Only after enlightenment can one gradually transform the basis toward the emptiness (śūnyatā) and purity of the tathāgatagarbha. Finally, when the first dhyāna arises and afflictions are eliminated, that is the most initial transformation of the basis. The second accomplishment of the transformation of the basis occurs at the stage of an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva, and the ultimate accomplishment of the transformation of the basis occurs at the stage of buddhahood. An ordinary being who has not attained enlightenment does not even touch upon the question of the transformation of the basis, let alone its accomplishment—there is simply no such thing. To accomplish the transformation of the basis, one must at the very least eliminate afflictions, so that one's mental disposition and wisdom both draw near to and approach those of the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha has not the slightest ignorance or affliction, nor does any habit of affliction exist; the sixth and seventh consciousnesses must therefore rely on the tathāgatagarbha to purify their bodily, verbal, and mental actions and their wisdom, diligently cultivating precepts, meditation (samādhi), and wisdom.

For the initial accomplishment of the transformation of the basis, one must at the very least eliminate afflictions and become a bodhisattva of the third or fourth fruit before it can barely be called an accomplishment of the transformation of the basis. But at that time the habits of affliction still remain, and one is still very far from the tathāgatagarbha; roughly two more immeasurable kalpas of practice are needed to reach the stage of beyond training (aśaikṣa) in the Great Vehicle, after which one need no longer transform the basis toward the mental disposition and wisdom of the tathāgatagarbha. Clearly, the transformation of the basis is not something an ordinary being who has not attained enlightenment can accomplish; one can only think about it, that is all.