The Tathāgatagarbha Takes No Thought of the Myriad Dharmas

Question: When you look at the moon, your tathāgatagarbha manifests the image of the moon for you; when you are not looking, the moon disappears for you. Although you know in your mind that it is still hanging in the sky, that is only what your mind consciousness knows through experience. This is my personal understanding—I wonder if it is correct.

Answer: When you are not looking at the moon, it is because the manas does not want to look. Why would the tathāgatagarbha bother to manifest it for the manas? If it manifested it and the manas were not interested, wouldn't the tathāgatagarbha be asking for embarrassment? The tathāgatagarbha never meddles; when there is nothing to do, it just rests idle—after all, He is not interested in anything. Knowing in your mind that the moon is hanging in the sky is the knowing of the solitary mental consciousness.