Wisdom Is Manifested in the Degree of Manas' Direct Realization of Tathāgatagarbha

When the manas directly realizes the Tathāgatagarbha in Mahayana Dharma, the degree of realization varies greatly, resulting in significant differences in the levels of wisdom. At the seventh abiding stage, the manas realizes only an extremely minute portion of the Tathāgatagarbha, merely and superficially observing its essential nature, thus the level of wisdom is very shallow. As cultivation continuously advances, through ongoing observation of the Tathāgatagarbha's functional attributes, the realization of its functions progressively increases, wisdom deepens further, and the mind relies on the Tathāgatagarbha's non-action (wuwei) and selfless nature, causing the kleshas and obstructions to gradually diminish.

Continuing until the attainment of the dreamlike contemplation, upon entering the first ground, second ground, and various other wisdom states, one observes the seed portion contained within the Tathāgatagarbha. At this point, the manas' degree of direct realization of the Tathāgatagarbha becomes very profound, and the wisdom is deep and vast, yet it is still not the most profound, broad, or subtle. Persisting in contemplating and observing the functional roles of the seeds within the Tathāgatagarbha, the dharmas directly realized become progressively deeper and more subtle. Once the functional roles of all the seeds within the Tathāgatagarbha are fully observed, completely realized, and exhaustively understood, wisdom then becomes perfectly complete. The wisdom encompassing all seeds is fully perfected, ignorance is utterly extinguished, birth and death are ended, liberation is thoroughly achieved, and cultivation concludes. Thereafter, all actions undertaken are solely for liberating sentient beings and enabling them to attain liberation.