The Self-Mastery of the Tathāgatagarbha and the Lack of Self-Mastery of the Mind of the Seven Consciousnesses

How is the tathāgatagarbha at ease? He has no six faculties and does not face the six sense objects; therefore He does not give rise to any mental activity, has no afflictions of greed, hatred, or delusion, and does not create karmic actions, so He does not transmigrate through birth and death in accordance with karmic actions. He has no eyes and does not see forms, is not deluded by forms, is not inverted with regard to forms, and is not bound by forms; therefore He is at ease. No matter what fine things or treasures He faces, He craves none of them; He does not look at either lovely or ugly forms, and thus is not moved or turned by forms—He is at ease with regard to form. Whether He is praised or insulted, either is fine; He has no ears and cannot hear, and gives rise to no afflictions of greed, hatred, or delusion; therefore He is at ease with regard to sounds. He is at ease with regard to material form, at ease with regard to sounds, and with regard to all six sense objects—form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and dharmas—He is at ease with all of them. Because He has no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind, and does not face the six sense objects, He gives rise to no thoughts or mental activity, and remains in suchness, unmoved, with regard to the six sense objects.

Then, are the seven consciousnesses of us sentient beings at ease with regard to the six sense objects? No, they are not. When the eye sees forms, it is bound by forms; when the ear hears sounds, it is bound by sounds; when the nose smells scents, the tongue tastes flavors, and the body feels tangibles, all are bound. The mind of the seven consciousnesses cannot break free from these forms, sounds, scents, tastes, tangibles, and dharmas: seeing form, it abides in form; hearing sound, it abides in sound; smelling scent, it abides in scent; tasting flavor, it abides in flavor; feeling touch, it abides in touch; knowing dharmas, it abides in dharmas. The tathāgatagarbha does not see, hear, perceive, or know these dharmas; He is not stained by them, not bound by them, and not inverted with regard to them; therefore He is at ease.

This passage describes the nature of the tathāgatagarbha. After enlightenment, based on His nature, one can accomplish the transformation of the basis as tathāgatagarbha. Before enlightenment, if one knows these characteristics of the tathāgatagarbha, then at the very moment of creating bodily, verbal, and mental actions, one can reflect on what kind of nature the tathāgatagarbha has and how pure He is, and thereby allow oneself to follow His example and learn from Him: when facing the objects of the six sense objects, one should also not give rise to afflictions of greed, hatred, or delusion, and should also purify oneself. Although this is not the true transformation of the basis, it still has a great effect; through frequent cultivation in this way, the mind can be transformed.