All Phenomena Are Ālayavijñāna Tathāgatagarbha

The ālaya-vijñāna causes all phenomena to transform without itself undergoing change. If the ālaya-vijñāna were also subject to change, it would be a dharma characterized by birth, abiding, alteration, and extinction, which entails grave flaws. Thus, a question arises: When was the ālaya-vijñāna born? How did it come into being? Before its birth, when nothing whatsoever existed—not even empty space—what state prevailed? Where did the karmic seeds of sentient beings reside? Where did the manas (the seventh consciousness) exist? If the ālaya-vijñāna can cease, how does it cease? For what reason does it cease? After its cessation, what becomes of the seeds of all dharmas? Do the karmic retributions of sentient beings still exist?

Furthermore, the ālaya-vijñāna does not reside within all phenomena. Otherwise, when all phenomena are destroyed, would the ālaya-vijñāna also be annihilated along with them? If one were to dissect all phenomena piece by piece, could one then locate the ālaya-vijñāna? Absolutely not.

The entire process of the growth and eventual destruction of all phenomena is the arising, abiding, changing, and perishing of the four primary elements—all sustained by the upholding power of the ālaya-vijñāna tathāgatagarbha. Within all dharmas, traces of the ālaya-vijñāna’s functioning can be found. Its traces and imprints are the mental dharmas (citta-dharma) and material dharmas (rūpa-dharma) formed by the seven fundamental elements, all of which are the intrinsic substance within the ālaya-vijñāna itself. Therefore, to perceive the Dharma is to perceive the ālaya-vijñāna. Every sight of the green mountains is nothing but the Dharma; the entirety is one true Dharma-realm—the unborn, undying ālaya-vijñāna tathāgatagarbha. Not even a millimeter or a mote of dust is permitted to exist outside the tathāgatagarbha. All are dharmas within the heart of the tathāgatagarbha, and all are the essence, attributes, and functions of the tathāgatagarbha. Sentient beings dwell within the tathāgatagarbha; in reality, there are no sentient beings apart from it. All is the tathāgatagarbha. What dharma is not the tathāgatagarbha? What could exist independently, transcending the tathāgatagarbha? Nothing whatsoever.