The Process by Which All Buddhas Attain the Wisdom of All Aspects (sarvākārajñatā)

Gold has the nature of gold. Gold is analogous to the tathāgatagarbha, and the nature of gold is analogous to the nature of the tathāgatagarbha, which is also equivalent to the nature of suchness (tathatā). Gold basins, gold bowls, and gold jewelry are all fashioned from gold, and all possess the nature of gold—or one may say they all are the nature of gold. By the same principle, all dharmas transformed and created by the tathāgatagarbha possess the nature of suchness; that is to say, they all possess the nature of the tathāgatagarbha.

Knowing that gold basins and gold bowls are made of gold, at the outset one still does not know that they are made of one hundred percent pure gold—that every speck of dust, from inside to outside, is gold and possesses the properties of gold. After prolonged contact, through continuous observation and verification of the gold basins and bowls, one comes to understand more and more about the properties of gold, and will become increasingly certain of the gold content and purity of the basins and bowls. In the end, one will completely verify that the gold basins and bowls are made entirely of pure gold—one hundred percent gold, possessing all the properties of gold, and can be treated fully as gold.

This process is the same as the process, after realizing the tathāgatagarbha, of giving rise to wisdom of the general characteristic, wisdom of specific characteristics, wisdom of the varieties of paths, and the wisdom of all aspects (sarvākārajñatā). When one has just awakened and realized the tathāgatagarbha in the five aggregates (pañcaskandha), it is like just having learned that the gold basins and bowls are made of gold and contain a certain degree of the nature of gold, but not yet knowing to what degree the gold is pure. After the wisdom of specific characteristics arises, one then carefully observes and verifies the tathāgatagarbha within all dharmas, and will observe more and more of the tathāgatagarbha's nature that all dharmas possess. When one has observed to a certain point, one will realize that all dharmas possess one portion of the suchness-nature of the tathāgatagarbha, and at this point one attains the bhūmis—entering the first bhūmi.

After continuing to observe and verify upon all dharmas, one will realize that all dharmas perfectly and completely possess the suchness-nature of the tathāgatagarbha—realizing the suchness-nature to the fullest degree, the perfect score of suchness-nature, with suchness filling one's eyes. At this point, one possesses the wisdom of all aspects in full and becomes a Buddha. What a pity, though, that a person who does not recognize gold sees only basins and bowls, and does not see the gold; such a person can only continue to be a poor vagrant, guarding the gold while begging for a living—how pitiable. When an ordinary being (pṛthagjana) guards the tathāgatagarbha within his own body yet does not recognize the tathāgatagarbha, acknowledging only the body of the five aggregates, then he can only continue transmigrating through the six realms—even more pitiable.