The Consummate Nature of Tathāgatagarbha

"Nature" (性) refers to the inherent quality—the nature of phenomena and principles. Without the character "nature," it refers to the phenomena and principles themselves. The pariniṣpanna-svabhāva (perfectly accomplished nature) of the tathāgatagarbha means that the tathāgatagarbha possesses the meritorious quality of being able to perfectly accomplish all dharmas, capable of perfectly accomplishing all dharmas, causing all dharmas to manifest as they truly are, existing in their original state. This functional quality of the tathāgatagarbha cannot be brought about by the five aggregates and the seven consciousnesses; the tathāgatagarbha inherently possesses this nature in full, and it need not be accomplished through later cultivation. All dharmas other than the tathāgatagarbha are perfectly accomplished and born through the seeds within the tathāgatagarbha itself; they all carry the attributes of the tathāgatagarbha, and all are manifested by the pariniṣpanna-svabhāva of the tathāgatagarbha.

Beings in the three evil destinies also possess the pariniṣpanna-svabhāva of the tathāgatagarbha; all are accomplished and manifested by the pariniṣpanna-svabhāva of the tathāgatagarbha. If it were not so, there would be no three evil destinies, and no sentient beings either. The six consciousnesses and the five faculties and six sense objects possess the paratantra-svabhāva (dependent nature); they arise in dependence on other dharmas, do not exist autonomously, and cannot exist independently. The seventh consciousness, the manas, possesses the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva); it perceives dharmas and grasps at dharmas, being the conscious mind of imputation and grasping.