Suchness Not Retaining Own-Nature Is Not Suchness Lacking Own-Nature

The phrase "tathatā does not abide in its intrinsic nature" means that the eighth consciousness, Tathāgatagarbha, does not remain in its fundamental state of absolute nothingness, but rather emits seeds from within the mind-body, thereby forming the phenomenal existence of all dharmas in the three realms. Here, "tathatā" refers to the substance of the eighth consciousness. The substance of the eighth consciousness certainly possesses its own intrinsic nature, which is distinct from the nature of all mundane dharmas. If the tathatā of the eighth consciousness, Tathāgatagarbha, lacked intrinsic nature, it would be non-autonomous and a dharma that is produced. Any dharma that is produced is non-autonomous; lacking intrinsic nature means lacking autonomy and lacking an independent substance. Yet the tathatā of the eighth consciousness, Tathāgatagarbha, eternally possesses its own unique substance, which is eternally immutable; therefore, it is supremely autonomous.

Nirvāṇa has no intrinsic nature because nirvāṇa is a pure state of the eighth consciousness, a state of solitary existence. A state has no intrinsic substance; it is a manifested dharma used to contrast the eighth consciousness. If "tathatā" does not refer to the substance of the eighth consciousness but rather to the true, suchness nature of the eighth consciousness—a quality—then this tathatā has no intrinsic substance; it is without intrinsic nature.

Since it is said that "tathatā does not abide in its intrinsic nature," it indicates that the tathatā of the eighth consciousness possesses intrinsic nature, which is emptiness. The eighth consciousness contains seeds and possesses non-emptiness, enabling it to manifest all dharmas according to conditions. Yet, while manifesting all dharmas, it itself remains empty in nature; it is not characterized by existence, and it itself is not the myriad dharmas. Because the tathatā of the eighth consciousness possesses the intrinsic nature of emptiness, it can accomplish the myriad dharmas. If the tathatā of the eighth consciousness lacked this intrinsic nature of emptiness, it could not accomplish the myriad dharmas; it would be unable to form the myriad dharmas and could only be the eighth consciousness tathatā itself.

Regardless of how many dharmas the eighth consciousness tathatā manifests, it still retains its original nature. It is like gold not abiding in its inherent state of being gold but transforming into the shapes of gold ornaments. No matter how many gold ornaments are fashioned from the gold, it always possesses the attributes of gold and the substance of gold. Precisely because tathatā possesses intrinsic nature, it is said that it "does not abide in its intrinsic nature"; "not abiding" still implies existence. Tathatā is originally empty and void, possessing nothing, yet it gives rise to all dharmas according to conditions. While giving rise to all dharmas, it still retains its original nature. The eighth consciousness does not lose the attributes of its own substance because it has given birth to the myriad dharmas. The attributes of the eighth consciousness substance never change; otherwise, the eighth consciousness would not be an immutable dharma.

The eighth consciousness "adapting to conditions without changing, unchanging yet adapting to conditions" illustrates that the eighth consciousness is eternally immutable and possesses intrinsic nature; its intrinsic nature never changes. The three intrinsic natures—the imaginary nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the seventh consciousness, the dependent nature (paratantra-svabhāva) of the first six consciousnesses, and the perfectly accomplished nature (pariniṣpanna-svabhāva) of the eighth consciousness—are all without intrinsic nature themselves; they can only exist depending on the substance of the eighth consciousness.