The Constantly Existing Dharma of Arising and Ceasing

The land of bliss (Sukhāvatī) is unborn and unceasing in the Buddha's mind, as well as in the mind of any person. Apart from the true mind, all dharmas are things within the true mind; they are all transformed, generated, and manifested by the true mind, and therefore they are all subject to arising and ceasing—only the true mind is unborn and unceasing. Although the land of bliss will exist for an extremely long time, it will ultimately cease to exist; it is just that we do not know how long this time will be. Originally there was no land of bliss; after Amitābha Buddha made his great vows, he established a land of bliss. Since it was established later, it has an arising. There is no dharma in the world that, once arisen, does not cease—this is the operating law of the dharma realm. From another perspective, the land of bliss is manifested by the true mind and is a part of the true mind, so it also belongs to the true.

Because the true mind does not cease, all dharmas will always exist; even after ceasing, they will arise again—the phenomenon of all dharmas is precisely that they must arise continually. It is only that individual phenomena arise and cease constantly, impermanent and subject to change; overall speaking, they are perpetually existent, because they will always appear. Whether or not we grasp at the land of bliss, the land of bliss is subject to arising and ceasing. In terms of the true mind's essence, it possesses the nature of suchness (tathatā). All dharmas cease and arise again, arise and cease again; because the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha, exists, all dharmas can arise and can cease. In the long run, the phenomenal realm will always continue to appear in the world.