Tathāgatagarbha: Neither Self nor Not-Self

The tathāgatagarbha is neither self nor not-self; it is both self and not-self—this principle is profound, and profoundly profound. Before the Buddha-ground, the tathāgatagarbha contains the defiled seeds of the seven consciousnesses, and it cannot help but follow the conditions of these seeds to give rise to defiled karma. Consequently, the pure virtues of the tathāgatagarbha are obscured, and the inherent virtues and radiance of the tathāgatagarbha's own substance cannot be fully manifested. At this stage, the tathāgatagarbha is not characterized by permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and cannot display the complete luminosity of its own substance. Only the tathāgatagarbha at the Buddha-ground, which is characterized by permanence, bliss, self, and purity, is unobscured by the defilements of the seven consciousnesses and can fully radiate the luminosity of its own substance; only that is the true self, the unchanging self, the self that is unaffected and unobscured. For example, when sentient beings' seven consciousnesses carry the karma of the three evil destinies, the tathāgatagarbha cannot help but follow conditions to manifest the three evil destinies; at that time it cannot manifest the Buddha's dignified countenance and a pure Buddha-land—its functions are obstructed, and its nature of self cannot be brought forth.

The five aggregates are suffering, empty, impermanent, and not-self; all dharmas produced by the tathāgatagarbha are subject to arising, ceasing, and change—they are not enduring, cannot be grasped, and indeed cannot be grasped at all. Yet the tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings is not suffering, empty, impermanent, or subject to change; moreover, within His mind there is no "I"—He does not regard a self as existing, and He does not possess the nature of a self that acts as the master. His mind-substance still contains defiled karma seeds that arise, cease, and change, causing the tathāgatagarbha to be neither permanent, nor blissful, nor self, nor pure. Only when the defiled karma seeds have been extinguished in the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna) of the tathāgatagarbha at the Buddha-ground, so that the seeds no longer arise, cease, or change, is there a true nature of self—only then is it the true self.