Conditioned Phenomena and Unconditioned Phenomena

The mind inherently exists of itself, not arising from other conditions; He is the only dharma that exists without any conditions, the unborn dharma that does not need causes and conditions to exist. Whether or not conditions exist, He is forever unborn and undying; therefore He is the mind of ultimate reality (dharmatā-citta). Apart from Him, everything else is a dharma produced by causes and conditions—once the conditions are complete, it comes into being, arising and ceasing with conditions, illusory and unfixed. Since it is a dharma that arises and ceases with conditions, it is a dharma without self-nature; whether it exists or not is not up to itself, and it cannot be autonomous.

This mind of ultimate reality, however, has self-nature; it has its own true self-substance. He is also self-existent, not born from other dharmas, existing unconditionally and without causes and conditions, possessing such intrinsic qualities as being unborn and undying. Nothing can limit Him, nothing can control Him; He exists inherently and naturally. Therefore, dharmas of dependent origination have no self-nature, while dharmas that are not dependently originated do have self-nature. Dependent origination means: because this arises, that arises—all such arisings are without self-nature, and therefore none of them is the Middle Way. But that which is not produced, which exists from the very beginning, has self-nature; He is the dharma of the Middle Way.

All the myriad dharmas of the world are produced by the mind of ultimate reality; they are born postnatally. Therefore, the mind of ultimate reality must exist first, and only then do the various dharmas and phenomena come into being. The mind does not depend on various phenomena to exist, but to search for the mind, one must search within phenomena. Apart from phenomena, apart from the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), apart from the eighteen realms, the mind cannot be found. Because the existence and functioning of these phenomena precisely demonstrate that the mind also exists and functions; if the mind departed, the phenomena would immediately cease, and the five aggregates would instantly become a corpse. Therefore, in investigating Chan, one must investigate within the various phenomena of the six sense objects, investigate within the activities of the five aggregates, investigate when the six faculties contact the six sense objects—seeking the mind that operates within these dharmas. When wisdom is fulfilled, meditative concentration (samādhi) is sufficient, and the conditions of the season and circumstances are complete, one can then realize this mind of ultimate reality.