The Object of Tathāgatagarbha

When the Buddha taught the Dharma of dependent origination, He said: name-and-form conditions consciousness, and consciousness conditions name-and-form. This consciousness is the tathāgatagarbha, the Ālayavijñāna. Name-and-form refers to the five aggregates (pañca-skandha): the aggregate of form, the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of volitional formations, and the aggregate of consciousness. Only by conditioning upon name-and-form can the tathāgatagarbha manifest itself and be put to use. If there were no name-and-form, the tathāgatagarbha would have no way to manifest, and its meritorious qualities could not be brought into play. Name-and-form must be conditioned upon the tathāgatagarbha in order to arise and exist; without the tathāgatagarbha, name-and-form would not arise. Name-and-form and the tathāgatagarbha exist in mutual dependence. Although the tathāgatagarbha can exist on its own, not depending on name-and-form for its existence, in order to function it must rely on name-and-form to function; the two are like bundled reeds leaning on each other.

The tathāgatagarbha also conditions upon karmic seeds. In accordance with the karmic seeds of sentient beings, it manifests their retributive bodies and the dependent environments in which they live, as well as various kinds of karmic retribution. The tathāgatagarbha also conditions upon the seeds of the four great elements inherently present within itself, manifesting the five aggregates and eighteen realms of sentient beings, as well as the material universe, the vessel-world. The tathāgatagarbha also conditions upon the minds of the seven consciousnesses, discerning the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses, transmitting the seeds of consciousness, and cooperating with the operation of the seven consciousnesses.