Why All Dharmas Are Tathatā

Why is every dharma suchness, and why is the entire earth the Dharma King's body?

It is indeed true that the entire earth is the Dharma King's body. Every place, even as small as a speck of dust, is where the Dharma King abides and upholds. Every dharma is suchness; every particle and mote is suchness. What does "every dharma" encompass? It includes all dharmas of the three realms of existence—from the great trichiliocosm, the universe, and the void, down to the tiniest dust and bacteria—all are suchness. The meaning of the West (the essence of Bodhidharma's coming from the West) is present on the tip of every blade of grass; not a single blade of grass or strand of silk is separate from self-nature or apart from suchness. To realize this state is to enter the Tathagata's household, requiring an extremely long period of cultivation.

Why is every dharma suchness?

Because all dharmas are generated from the seven great seeds within the Tathagatagarbha, the essence of the suchness mind. Not a single dharma can exist apart from these seven great seeds. The seven great seeds pervade the world, filling the Flower Adornment World, the ocean of worlds, and the One True Dharma Realm.

The seven great seeds are like the yellow robe of an emperor, while the Tathagatagarbha is like the emperor himself. As the emperor moves throughout the world, the yellow robe never leaves his body. Seeing the yellow robe signifies the emperor’s presence. There is not a single place in the world that is not the soil of the Tathagatagarbha; there is no place it cannot reach, no place it does not reside, no place without its presence, and no dharma that is not itself. From the sky to the earth, all is the Tathagatagarbha. Mountains, rivers, and the great earth fully reveal the Dharma King’s body—all are manifestations of the Tathagatagarbha, and all exist solely through its sustaining power.

Lush green bamboo is none other than prajna; blooming yellow flowers are entirely the Dharma body. The entire world is Buddha. To truly understand and realize these words, one must reach the stage of the First Ground (Bhumi) or higher. At that level, there is not a single dharma, not a single place, not a single moment in the mundane or supramundane that is not suchness. Every dharma is suchness—this is the direct realization of bodhisattvas on the grounds. In the world, not a single dharma can exist independently or stand alone; all are transformed by suchness and sustained by suchness. Whether arising, ceasing, or undergoing any change, all transformations are the work of suchness.