What Is the Realm of Sentient Beings?

The realm of sentient beings consists of the five skandhas—form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—along with the six sense faculties, six sense objects, and six consciousnesses. All these are generated by the Tathāgatagarbha, with their seeds originating from it, and all materials deriving from it. Therefore, the essence of all dharmas is the Tathāgatagarbha. Hence, it is said that the realm of sentient beings is the Dharma Body, and the Dharma Body is the realm of sentient beings. The relationship between the realm of sentient beings and the Dharma Body Tathāgatagarbha is akin to that between steamed bread and flour. Steamed bread is made from flour; the entirety of steamed bread is flour. Steamed bread cannot exist independently apart from flour, whereas flour can exist independently. The value of flour lies in its ability to be made into steamed bread. Yet, arhats merely wish for flour to exist without value, not desiring to have steamed bread to eat. The realm of sentient beings is indeed the Buddha realm. Apart from the realm of sentient beings, the existence of the Dharma Body would be without significance.