The Tathāgatagarbha's Function of Absorbing and Transmitting Outer Representations

All the six sense-object marks that sentient beings can come into contact with are inner representations; they cannot come into contact with outer representations. The true aspect of outer representations can only be contacted by the tathāgatagarbha, but the tathāgatagarbha does not discriminate the specific six sense-objects of outer representations, so it also does not know what specific marks the outer representations have. Outer representations are material form jointly manifested through the collective output of the seeds of the four great elements by the tathāgatagarbhas of all sentient beings with karmic connections, and they are also jointly held by the tathāgatagarbhas of all beings sharing common karma.
These material forms contain the four great elements, and an individual's tathāgatagarbha also contains the four great elements; when corresponding with the material form, it can come into contact with the outer representations of material form, and can take in the subtle particles of the four great elements within the outer representations and transmit them. These particles also arise and cease moment by moment; one particle arises and ceases, then another particle arises and ceases, and in this way the particles composed of the four great elements are continuously transmitted to the supreme faculty, becoming the subtle inner representations of the four great elements that the seven consciousnesses can take as object, resembling the outer representations. What the seven consciousnesses discriminate is precisely this inner representation, not the true external material form of essential substance.
If a sentient being leaves this world, the portion of the seeds of the four great elements belonging to that being in the outer representations must be withdrawn back into the tathāgatagarbha; then the outer representations of the external world will no longer be the same as before, yet sentient beings cannot detect it. If beings of evil karma all leave this world, some vile outer representations will have to cease, and then our world will become somewhat more beautiful. If some sages are further added—their wholesome karma being powerful—they will participate in manifesting the outer representations, and this world will be greatly transformed.