The Impermanence of Worldly Dharmas Is Not Impelled.

Someone asked what causes and drives the impermanence of all dharmas. The impermanence of all dharmas in the worldly realm is not caused by anyone, nor is it driven into being; it is a phenomenon and a fact that is such by nature (dharmatā). Because worldly dharmas are dharmas that are not self-governing and lack self-mastery (avaśatā), they are dharmas that have been brought into existence; what is born naturally ceases, undergoing the process of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing—they do not arise without ceasing. Therefore, worldly dharmas are impermanent. Moreover, because worldly dharmas are brought into existence through various causes and conditions, if the causes and conditions change, the worldly dharmas change accordingly; therefore, worldly dharmas are subject to change. "Not self-governing" means they cannot master themselves or control themselves; "lacking self-mastery" means they cannot decide their own existence or non-existence, cannot determine their own arising and abiding, and therefore there is change and there is destruction. Not being self-governing and lacking self-mastery determine that all dharmas are necessarily impermanent; only what is self-governing and self-mastered can exist eternally. The impermanence of all dharmas is not caused or driven by external forces, but is determined and manifested by the nature of the dharmas themselves.

Impermanence is a definition and supplementary description applied to all dharmas of the world; it is a qualitative and summary descriptive term. It is not a real, existent dharma, not a substantial entity composed of the real seeds of the four great elements and the seven great elements; it is an illusory dharma. Therefore, one should not ask what caused impermanence or what drives impermanence, but rather ask why all dharmas are impermanent.

Why are all dharmas impermanent? Because they are dharmas brought into existence through various causes and conditions; whatever is born must cease—arising and ceasing are inseparable, uncertain and impermanent. They cannot master themselves, cannot control themselves, and cannot be their own master; therefore, they are impermanent. There is no dharma that drives impermanence. If one insists there is, it would be that sentient beings' manas has attachments, constantly grasping and rejecting, engaging in actions, with the mind not at tranquility (praśama); thus all dharmas continually arise and cease, changing without constancy.

Impermanence is the result of all dharmas, not the cause. The cause is the unborn and unceasing true mind, the tathāgatagarbha, which can give rise to all dharmas. Because the tathāgatagarbha gives birth to all dharmas under various causes and conditions, all dharmas are impermanent and selfless. For example, when I use soybeans to make tofu, tofu as a food is impermanent, lacking self-governance and lacking self-mastery. Because tofu is brought into existence through the combination of various causes and conditions—it did not exist before and only appears now—and after it appears, when the causes and conditions change, the tofu changes as well: it may become moldy, weather into a dried state, or even be eaten. Therefore, tofu is impermanent, and it is also selfless and without a master. By the same token, the tathāgatagarbha produces all dharmas through various causes and conditions; when the causes and conditions change, the dharmas must change, and dharmas that can change are impermanent.