The Tathāgatagarbha Neither Exits Nor Enters

The dharmas that involve emergence and withdrawal are dharmas of arising-ceasing and transformation; they are not eternal dharmas. Therefore, the Tathagatagarbha neither enters parinirvana nor emerges from parinirvana. The Tathagatagarbha is not within parinirvana nor without parinirvana, for nirvana is neither within nor without.

The Tathagatagarbha is a dharma that transcends the mundane; it does not associate with any mundane dharmas. After the mundane dharmas—the five aggregates and eighteen elements—have ceased, the Tathagatagarbha does not cease along with them but remains peacefully independent. It is for this reason that parinirvana exists; otherwise, there would be no parinirvana at all. If, after the cessation of the five aggregates and eighteen elements, all were utterly extinguished with nothing remaining, there would be no future lives or subsequent existences whatsoever. When the five aggregates and eighteen elements arise, the Tathagatagarbha does not arise along with them, for it is innately and perfectly present, requiring no arising.