Why Must the Realization of Tathagatagarbha Require Paravṛtti to Be Considered True Realization?

The Path of Seeing is divided into the Path of Seeing in Mahayana and Hinayana; it is not exclusive to Mahayana. The Mahayana Path of Seeing is the actual realization of the tathāgatagarbha. Realizing the tathāgatagarbha means perceiving the path upon which Mahayana practice relies. It is not that one realizes the tathāgatagarbha and then, as an unnecessary extra step, succeeds in the revolution of the basis to achieve enlightenment. The very moment one perceives the tathāgatagarbha is the realization itself. As for the revolution of the basis, it is indeed necessary to gradually undergo it after realization. Once the revolution of the basis succeeds, one's mental nature becomes close to the purity of the tathāgatagarbha, afflictions are eliminated, and one attains the wisdom of consciousness-only. Thus, one enters the Tathagata's family and becomes a true child of the Buddha.

If it is said that the success of the revolution of the basis constitutes the realization of the mind (enlightenment), then realizing the tathāgatagarbha would not count as realization. If it is not realization, then one has not attained the tathāgatagarbha; rather, one has merely intellectually understood that there is a tathāgatagarbha. An intellectually understood tathāgatagarbha lacks the beneficial qualities and experiential realization. Consequently, one would then need to compare one's physical, verbal, and mental actions with the purity of the tathāgatagarbha in order to restrain the actions of the seven consciousnesses. Once restrained to a certain degree, so that afflictions no longer create negative karma, it would then be considered realization. However, without genuine realization, this kind of restraint is impossible to succeed at, and thus the so-called revolution of the basis would never succeed. Without realization, how could the revolution of the basis possibly succeed? After realization, why would one need to succeed in the revolution of the basis again and then re-establish it as realization? Isn't this a very contradictory issue?

After realization, one can gradually revolve the basis towards the emptiness and purity of the tathāgatagarbha. Finally, when the first dhyāna arises and afflictions are eliminated, that is the most preliminary stage of the revolution of the basis. The second successful revolution of the basis occurs at the stage of the eighth ground Bodhisattva. The ultimate success of the revolution of the basis is at the stage of Buddhahood. Ordinary beings who have not realized do not even touch upon the issue of the revolution of the basis, let alone succeed at it; such a thing is utterly non-existent. To succeed in the revolution of the basis, one must at the very least eliminate afflictions, so that one's mental nature and wisdom are close to those of the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha has not the slightest ignorance or affliction; even habitual tendencies of afflictions do not exist. The sixth and seventh consciousnesses must rely on the tathāgatagarbha to purify physical, verbal, and mental actions and wisdom, diligently cultivating precepts, meditation, and wisdom.

The initial success of the revolution of the basis requires, at minimum, the elimination of afflictions, becoming a Bodhisattva at the third or fourth fruition (Sakṛdāgāmin or Anāgāmin), before it can barely be called successful. However, at this stage, the habitual tendencies of afflictions still remain, and the distance from the tathāgatagarbha is still vast. It generally requires about two immeasurable eons of practice to reach the state of Mahayana non-learning (no further training needed), where one no longer needs to revolve the basis towards the mental nature and wisdom of the tathāgatagarbha. It is clear that the revolution of the basis is not something achievable by ordinary beings who lack realization; they can only think about it.