That Suchness Does Not Abide in Its Own Nature Does Not Mean Suchness Lacks Self-Nature (Svabhāva)

The meaning of "tathatā not abiding in its own nature" is that the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, does not remain in its original position in a state of having nothing at all, but instead flows forth the seeds within the mind to form the existence of the myriad dharmas of the three realms. Such tathatā refers to the substance of the eighth consciousness. The substance of the eighth consciousness certainly has its own self-nature, which is different from the natures of all worldly dharmas. If tathatā, the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, had no self-nature, it would lack self-mastery (avaśatā) and would be a dharma that is produced. Any dharma that is produced lacks self-mastery; without self-nature there is no self-mastery, and it has no independent substance of its own. But tathatā, the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha, forever has its own unique substance, forever unchanging, and is therefore of great self-mastery.

Nirvāṇa has no self-nature, because nirvāṇa is a pure state of the eighth consciousness, a state of solitary existence. A state has no self-substance; it is a manifesting dharma, used to set off the eighth consciousness. If tathatā does not refer to the substance of the eighth consciousness, but rather to the true suchness of the eighth consciousness—a certain quality—then such tathatā has no self-substance and no self-nature.

Since it is said that tathatā does not abide in its own nature, this shows that tathatā, the eighth consciousness, does have self-nature, which is emptiness (śūnyatā). The eighth consciousness contains and stores seeds and also has the nature of non-emptiness, being able to manifest the myriad dharmas in accordance with conditions; yet in manifesting the myriad dharmas, it is itself still empty in nature, not existent in nature—He Himself is not the myriad dharmas. Because tathatā, the eighth consciousness, has the self-nature of emptiness, it can accomplish the myriad dharmas. If tathatā, the eighth consciousness, did not have the self-nature of emptiness, it could not accomplish the myriad dharmas, could not become the myriad dharmas, and could only be the tathatā of the eighth consciousness itself.

No matter how many dharmas the eighth consciousness, tathatā, manifests, it still retains its own original nature, just like gold not abiding in its inherent state of gold and being transformed into the shapes of gold ornaments: no matter how many gold ornaments the gold is fashioned into, it always retains the properties of gold and the substance of gold. It is precisely because tathatā has self-nature that it is said not to abide in its own nature; "not abiding" still implies existence. Tathatā is originally empty and devoid of anything, yet it gives rise to all dharmas in accordance with conditions, and in giving rise to all dharmas, it still retains its own original nature. The eighth consciousness does not lose the attributes of its own substance because it has produced the myriad dharmas. The attributes of the substance of the eighth consciousness never change; otherwise, the eighth consciousness would not be an unchanging dharma.

That the eighth consciousness accords with conditions yet does not change, and does not change yet accords with conditions, shows that the eighth consciousness is forever unchanging and has self-nature, and its self-nature never changes. The three kinds of self-nature—the parikalpita nature (imputed nature) of the seventh consciousness, the paratantra nature (dependent arising) of the first six consciousnesses, and the pariniṣpanna nature (perfectly accomplished nature) of the eighth consciousness—are all without self-nature and can only exist by relying on the substance of the eighth consciousness.