The True Meaning of the Selflessness of Dharmas

The dharma of no-self is the profound wisdom realm of Yogācāra dharma realized by bodhisattvas on the bhūmis: among all the dharmas surrounding the five aggregates, they gradually realize that a portion of dharmas are not the self and lack the nature of self, then realize that most dharmas are not the self and lack the nature of self, and finally realize that all dharmas are not the self and lack the nature of self, thereby ultimately attaining buddhahood. Sentient beings believe that all dharmas possess a certain real attribute, and thus their minds give rise to grasping, which constitutes grasping at dharmas (dharma-grasping). Post-bhūmi bodhisattvas possess profound seeds-of-all-aspects wisdom (sarvākārajñatā) of Yogācāra and are able to observe directly how a portion of dharmas, and most dharmas, are born from and held by the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, they no longer regard a portion of dharmas in the threefold world, or most dharmas, as truly existing with inherent nature; in this way they realize the no-self of a portion of dharmas and the no-self of most dharmas.

Pre-bhūmi bodhisattvas and ordinary sentient beings, lacking the ability to observe directly the origin and substance of a portion of dharmas and most dharmas in the threefold world, believe in their minds that these dharmas have a certain reality and possess the nature of self. They take the universe's material world (bhājanaloka) to be the material world, and cannot observe in the slightest that the material world is entirely an attribute of the tathāgatagarbha, is the functioning of the tathāgatagarbha, and is constituted by the seeds of the tathāgatagarbha. Therefore they believe that dharmas have a self, thereby giving rise to grasping at the self of dharmas. Sentient beings take all the principles and dharmas they cognize as truly existent, believing that these principles are just these principles, and cannot observe in the slightest what the substance of these principles actually is—not knowing that they are all attributes of the tathāgatagarbha and have no so-called inherent self-nature. Therefore they believe these principles possess the nature of self and belong to the self, and thus grasping at the self of dharmas arises.

If sentient beings could observe directly that the universe's material world is constituted by the seeds of the tathāgatagarbha, is an attribute of the tathāgatagarbha, and is in essence the tathāgatagarbha itself, then they would no longer take the material world to be the material world; they would see the shadow of the tathāgatagarbha in the material world and see its functioning, and there would be no view of the self of dharmas and no grasping at the self of dharmas. If sentient beings could observe directly that the six sense faculties and six sense objects are composed of the seeds of the tathāgatagarbha, are attributes of the tathāgatagarbha, and are in essence the tathāgatagarbha itself, then they would no longer take the six faculties and six objects to be the six faculties and six objects; they would see the shadow of the tathāgatagarbha in them and see its functioning, and thus there would be no view of the self of dharmas and no grasping at the self of dharmas. (The six faculties and six objects are a portion of all dharmas and are also dharmas.)

If sentient beings could observe directly that all rules, principles, conventional truths, and ultimate truths are formed from the seeds of the tathāgatagarbha, are attributes of the tathāgatagarbha, and are in essence the tathāgatagarbha itself, then they would no longer take all these rules, principles, conventional truths, and ultimate truths to be rules, principles, conventional truths, and ultimate truths; they would observe the shadow of the tathāgatagarbha in these principles and truths and see its functioning, and thus there would be no view of the self of dharmas and no grasping at the self of dharmas. Therefore, the no-self of all dharmas realized by bodhisattvas on the bhūmis does not mean that all dharmas are not the tathāgatagarbha; on the contrary, it means precisely that the substance of all dharmas is the tathāgatagarbha, that they have no inherent self-nature of their own, that all dharmas entirely lack the nature of the self of the five aggregates, and are empty, illusory, unreal, and perishable. Here "self" refers to the provisional self of the worldly five aggregates and the provisional self of the seven consciousnesses, not to the tathāgatagarbha.

The meaning of "all dharmas are not the self, are not different from the self, and do not dwell in the self" is not that all dharmas are not the tathāgatagarbha, are not different from the tathāgatagarbha, and do not mingle with the tathāgatagarbha; on the contrary, the essence of all dharmas is the tathāgatagarbha—they are all dharmas within the one true dharmadhātu, all are true, all are real and unchanging dharmas. Whoever believes that all dharmas are the self or are not the self—that is precisely whom this "self" refers to; whoever grasps at all dharmas as the self—that is precisely whom this "self" refers to. Of course, it is the manas and the seven consciousnesses that grasp at all dharmas as the self, as oneself, as possessed by me, and for one's own use. Therefore, after cultivating the seeds-of-all-aspects wisdom of Yogācāra and realizing that all dharmas are not the self and not mine, one no longer grasps at all dharmas as self and as belonging to self.