Why Can One Not Perceive the Tathagata Through Physical Form?

The Buddha replied: The bodily form spoken of by the Tathagata is not the true bodily form (it is merely termed bodily form). Whether it is the bodily form of sentient beings or the bodily form of the Tathagata, it is not real, unborn and unceasing, or eternally unchanging; it is provisionally designated as bodily form. Therefore, it cannot represent sentient beings, nor can it represent the Tathagata. If one takes bodily form as sentient beings or takes bodily form as the Tathagata, then when the bodily form perishes, sentient beings vanish, and the Tathagata also disappears. Yet the Tathagata is eternally unchanging and never perishes.

The Tathagata is also the Buddha's essential virtue, the true suchness mind-substance of eternity, bliss, self, and purity. It is formless, devoid of physical characteristics, and without bodily form. Therefore, taking bodily form as the Tathagata is a great misconception; one cannot perceive the Tathagata in this way. To perceive the Tathagata, one must see the essential virtue through the bodily form, perceiving the formless true substance. The formless is true, while the formed is false; the false appearance is provisionally named "bodily form." So how does this bodily form arise? It is the resultant body adorned with the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor marks, attained through the Buddha's practice over three asamkhyeya kalpas, resulting from accumulated wisdom merit and blessed virtues. It is manifested by the Tathagata-garbha immaculate consciousness, an arising-and-ceasing entity brought forth from non-existence; thus, it is illusory and unreal—not the Tathagata, not the true Buddha.

Then how can one perceive the Tathagata, the true Buddha? The Buddha provided a four-line verse as the answer: "All phenomena that have form are illusory. If one sees all phenomena as non-phenomena, then one perceives the Tathagata." The answer is the result; the process of attaining it is through Chan investigation and inquiry. The prerequisite is the complete cultivation of precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom, the perfection of the six paramitas of a Bodhisattva, and even more so, the full attainment of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment of the Hinayana path, because if the Hinayana cannot realize it, the Mahayana certainly cannot.

"All phenomena that have form" refers to every kind of phenomenon—the phenomenon of self, the phenomenon of others, the phenomenon of sentient beings, the phenomenon of life span, the five aggregates phenomena, phenomena of events, phenomena of objects, phenomena of mind, phenomena of dharmas—without exception, all are non-phenomena, all are illusory and unreal. They are produced and transformed by the vajra mind, mere false appearances. If one wishes to perceive the Tathagata, to perceive the vajra prajna reality-mark mind, one must engage in Chan investigation, probing into the essence of these phenomena within all appearances: what is the true substance of these phenomena, why do all these phenomena exist, and why do they arise and cease. When the investigation penetrates thoroughly and one realizes the vajra prajna mind, one understands that all these phenomena are empty and devoid of self-nature; they are not the substance-mark, have no substantial mark or noumenal mark, and are merely the functional manifestations of the vajra mind.

Just as wind causes trees to sway—the trees themselves cannot sway; the swaying phenomenon is not the tree's own phenomenon but the effect of the wind's force—thus, when the phenomenon of wind blowing manifests, the wind is realized, and the phenomenon of tree-swaying is dispelled. Similarly, within all phenomena, one can realize the vajra mind and the wondrous true suchness nature, thereby dispelling all phenomena and realizing that all phenomena are non-phenomena. Yet this vajra mind itself is formless, and the wondrous true suchness nature is also formless. This is the profound meaning of what the Buddha said: "If one sees all phenomena as non-phenomena, then one perceives the Tathagata." If one sees all phenomena as phenomena, that is the view of an ordinary person with fleshly eyes. If one sees all phenomena as non-phenomena, that is termed "seeing all phenomena" and is the view of sages and Bodhisattvas. Although all phenomena are provisionally designated as "all phenomena," false appearances still exist, illusory functions still operate; they cannot be entirely extinguished. Therefore, all phenomena are non-phenomena, yet not non-phenomena; they transcend the four propositions and sever all negations.