The Emptiness of Mahayana and Hinayana Are Not the Same Realm

The emptiness of the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas and the emptiness of the empty Tathagatagarbha are two distinct realms; the difference between them is immense and they cannot be conflated. Any of the three kinds of emptiness pertaining to the Tathagatagarbha must be realized through direct experiential observation upon attaining the Tathagatagarbha, which is fundamentally different from the emptiness of the Hinayana. The mental emptiness after realizing the Tathagatagarbha cannot be conflated with the emptiness prior to realizing it; their natures differ, and the mental states are distinct. "Bodhi is fundamentally without any tree" represents the emptiness of the Hinayana; at this stage, the Tathagatagarbha has not yet been realized and is unrelated to the empty Tathagatagarbha. Only later, upon hearing the five phrases regarding the self-nature in the Diamond Sutra, is the Tathagatagarbha realized.