The Pariniṣpanna Nature of Tathāgatagarbha

Original text of the Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment: 善男子。一切障碍。即究竟觉。得念失念。无非解脱。成法破法。皆名涅槃。智慧愚痴。通为般若。菩萨外道。所成就法。同是菩提。无明真如。无异境界。诸戒定慧。及淫怒痴。俱是梵行。

Explanation: Good son, all karmic forces and obstructions, all afflictions, are the ultimate awakened nature. Ultimate awakening refers to the self-natured awakening of the tathāgatagarbha. Why is this said? Because all afflictive obstructions and hindrances are born of and upheld by the tathāgatagarbha, and are perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha; without the tathāgatagarbha, there would be none of these obstructions. Gaining mindfulness and losing mindfulness—there is nothing that is not liberation, because both are born and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, are perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha; without the tathāgatagarbha, there would be no such dharma-marks as gaining or losing mindfulness. Accomplishing dharmas and destroying dharmas are both pure nirvāṇa, because both of these are born and sustained by the tathāgatagarbha, and are perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha; therefore both are the pure conduct and pure nature of nirvāṇa, both are the nature of the tathāgatagarbha.

Wisdom and folly are both prajñā, because both are born and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, both are perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha, and both are the nature of the tathāgatagarbha. The wholesome and pure dharmas accomplished through the bodhisattva's practice, and the unwholesome and false dharmas cultivated by non-Buddhists, are equally bodhi, because both are born and sustained by the tathāgatagarbha, both are perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha, and both are the nature of the tathāgatagarbha. The realms of ignorance (avidyā) and suchness (tathatā) are not different, because both are manifested by the tathāgatagarbha; ignorance is itself suchness—dwelling in the realm of ignorance, ignorance in its entirety is the nature of suchness. All pure conduct of precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom, as well as the conduct of greed, anger, and delusion, are equally pure conduct (brahmacarya), because all are born and sustained by the pure tathāgatagarbha, all are perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha, and all are the pure nirvāṇa nature of the tathāgatagarbha.

Original text: 众生国土。同一法性。地狱天宫。皆为净土。有性无性。齐成佛道。一切烦恼。毕竟解脱。法界海慧。照了诸相。犹如虚空。此名如来。随顺觉性。

Explanation: Sentient beings and insentient lands share the same dharma-nature; both are the nature of the tathāgatagarbha dharma. The combined body of a sentient being's material form and mind is accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha using the seven great seeds, while lands are material form, accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha using the five great seeds; all are accomplished through the perfected-real nature (pariniṣpanna) of the tathāgatagarbha. Hell and heavenly palaces are both pure lands, both born and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, both perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha, both things within the pure tathāgatagarbha mind, all within the pure land of the tathāgatagarbha. Those with buddha-nature and those without buddha-nature will all together accomplish the buddha-way, because those with and without buddha-nature are originally the Tathāgata Buddha, all born and manifested by the tathāgatagarbha, all perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha. All afflictions are ultimately liberation, because all afflictions are born and upheld by the tathāgatagarbha, all are perfectly accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha, all are the nature of the tathāgatagarbha; and since the tathāgatagarbha is itself intrinsically liberated, all afflictions are ultimately liberated.

The immeasurable wisdom of the one true dharma realm, vast like an ocean, after illuminating all dharmas, sees them as being like empty space—unobtainable, utterly empty. Because the ocean-like wisdom of the tathāgatagarbha does not store or contain worldly dharma-marks, worldly dharma-marks are like empty space to the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, from the stage of ordinary beings to the stage of buddhahood, the tathāgatagarbha is forever pure and undefiled, without ignorance and afflictions. This is the Tathāgata's awakened nature in accord with suchness. Bodhisattvas and ordinary beings cannot realize it; they can only understand, contemplate, and imagine it. As long as there is a dharma to rely upon, understanding does not seem too difficult, but actual realization requires three great asaṃkhyeya kalpas.

The above is the perfected-real nature (pariniṣpanna) of the tathāgatagarbha—the nature that perfectly accomplishes all dharmas.