Tathāgatagarbha Possesses Both the Unconditioned and Conditioned Natures

The unconditioned dharma is divided into two types: one refers to the innate unconditioned nature of the Tathagatagarbha, and the other refers to the acquired unconditioned mind nature cultivated through practice by the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses. Among the eight consciousnesses, only the Tathagatagarbha is the inherently unconditioned mind, belonging to the unconditioned dharma. Because it is a mind of emptiness, it does not intentionally create any dharmic appearances or any karmic actions. When conditions are not present, it neither gives birth to nor sustains any dharma. The Tathagatagarbha always remains unchanging yet adapts to conditions, and adapts to conditions while remaining unchanging. One characteristic of its unconditioned nature is its adaptability—it flows along with the current, without self-assertion; when conditions are absent or incomplete, it does not force anything. Furthermore, the Tathagatagarbha lacks self-nature and does not act as a master. It is also empty-minded and unconditioned, signless and wishless; thus, the Tathagatagarbha is non-acting. Therefore, it is said that the Tathagatagarbha is not the master consciousness. Only when there is a self does one seek to be master, or even prioritize the self. Since the Tathagatagarbha is selfless, it has no intention to dominate any dharma.

The Tathagatagarbha possesses both an unconditioned nature and a conditioned nature. The unconditioned nature of the Tathagatagarbha means that its intrinsic mind is non-striving; it acts toward all dharmas without intention, without any active desire to create any dharma, and does not act as master over any dharma. Although the Tathagatagarbha engages in creation and mental activity when giving birth to all dharmas, its mind nature remains unconditioned—it does not know what it is creating, knows nothing about the dharmas of the realm, has no desire to know, yet is able to give birth to all dharmas in accordance with conditions. Despite creating countless worldly dharmas, its mind remains empty, intentionless, wishless, without arising or ceasing, without a master nature, and without self-nature. The Tathagatagarbha is selfless; selflessness is unconditioned—it does not act for the self, nor for any purpose, and has no self-interest. If the Tathagatagarbha were not an unconditioned dharma, there would be no unconditioned dharmas whatsoever in the mundane or supramundane realms. No matter how unconditioned the seven consciousnesses may be, they cannot match the unconditioned nature of the Tathagatagarbha—even the seven consciousnesses at the stage of Buddhahood are no exception.

If a selfless mind still belonged to the conditioned dharmas, it would be a grave contradiction. If the Tathagatagarbha were purely a conditioned dharma, it would necessarily be subject to birth and cessation. How is the Tathagatagarbha conditioned? Creating worldly dharmas is conditioned, yet within this conditioning, it remains unconditioned. If the Tathagatagarbha were purely conditioned, what would the seven consciousnesses learn from it? How could the seven consciousnesses draw near to the Tathagatagarbha, learn from it, and thereby transform their own mind nature? How could the seven consciousnesses remain unmoving like thusness in the face of all realms? How could the seven consciousnesses attain complete unconditionedness and accomplish the Buddha Way? If the Tathagatagarbha were purely a conditioned dharma, our practice of Chan to realize the Tathagatagarbha would be unnecessary. Moreover, after awakening, we could not transfer reliance to the pure unconditioned nature of the Tathagatagarbha, and the seven consciousnesses would forever be unable to transform their mind nature. In this case, whether awakened or not, one could not attain Buddhahood.