The Black Box World (22)

Since the Tathagatagarbha is formless and shapeless, pervading the five aggregates, pervading all places, pervading all realms, pervading all times, pervading all lands, pervading all dharmas, and throughout the entire world, universe, and vessel-world, the traces of Tathagatagarbha are everywhere. Thus, there is no concept of where Tathagatagarbha is or is not, no notion of where it goes or does not go—it neither comes nor goes. Since it neither comes nor goes, yet possesses these six pervasions, do the Tathagatagarbhas of sentient beings overlap? Do they influence each other and communicate with one another?

Although each sentient being's Tathagatagarbha possesses these pervasions, Tathagatagarbhas do not merge or overlap with one another because they are all formless and shapeless. However, Tathagatagarbhas do communicate with each other, for they are consciousnesses of the same kind; thus, they certainly interact and can communicate mutually. When conditions arise, one Tathagatagarbha can know the seeds stored within the other's mind-essence, thereby knowing the five-aggregate body sustained by the other. When the Tathagatagarbha knows the seeds within another Tathagatagarbha, it knows all the conditions of the five aggregates manifested by that other Tathagatagarbha for that sentient being. It knows all matters across lifetimes, so there are no secrets between Tathagatagarbhas.

Our Tathagatagarbha, through connection with another Tathagatagarbha, can know everything within that other Tathagatagarbha. The seeds within the other's Tathagatagarbha can also be discerned by our Tathagatagarbha, and the seeds within our Tathagatagarbha can also be known by the other's Tathagatagarbha. Therefore, between Tathagatagarbhas of connected sentient beings, they can discern each other's karmic seeds, which alerts the five aggregates they respectively sustain. Consequently, there will be resonance between the five aggregates. If there is a positive connection, there will be harmony and peace; the five aggregates of the two sentient beings will feel very harmonious and joyful. If there is a negative connection, the Tathagatagarbhas mutually know the negative karmic seeds and will alert the five aggregates they sustain. The relationship between the two five-aggregate sentient beings will become awkward. If their respective Tathagatagarbhas output negative karmic seeds, the five aggregates of the two sentient beings will be disharmonious when together, leading to conflict and opposition.