What Phenomena Does Tathāgatagarbha Perceive?

Do the Buddhas still perceive illusory phenomena? They perceive them, but neither interpret them as illusory phenomena nor utilize them as such. Manifesting the great compassionate form, they accompany sentient beings in their play, plunging into the mud and water for their sake, their minds pure as lotuses, utterly free from delusion. Does the Tathagatagarbha perceive illusory appearances? It does not. It perceives no composite appearances, no aggregated appearances, no unified appearances, no changing appearances—it perceives only the original appearance. Abiding within the original appearance, it provides all dharmas to sentient beings, entering the mud and water yet not staining a single drop, supremely pure!

With which eye do sentient beings perceive mountains, rivers, and the earth? It is the physical eye that sees. The physical eye is blind—why is the physical eye blind? Because the mind's eye is blind, therefore the physical eye must be blind. Why is the mind's eye blind? It has been so since beginningless kalpas—there is no "why"; ignorance has no cause. Since beginningless kalpas, how many eyes have been blinded? The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, and Manas—seven eyes in total—all are blind. When Manas is blinded, all follow in blindness; there is no eye of wisdom.

What should one do if one no longer wishes to be blind? How can one act to see the light? Have you created enough evil karma with your blind eyes? Have you endured enough retribution for evil with your blind eyes? Enough. Since it is enough, from now on, refrain from all evil and practice all good!