On the Non-Causal Dharma of Tathagatagarbha

The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination taught by the Buddha are, in essence, all branches that depend on the Tathagatagarbha; apart from the Tathagatagarbha, there is no dependent origination. What worldly people speak of as dependent origination only understands the surface phenomena, as if this exists therefore that exists, or this dharma gives rise to that dharma. In reality, conditioned by this dharma, the Tathagatagarbha gives rise to that dharma, and this dharma is also a dharma within the Tathagatagarbha. Any dharma, if separated from the Tathagatagarbha, cannot exist. The arising of any dharma is also the arising by the Tathagatagarbha, except that many conditions are required for the Tathagatagarbha to give rise to that dharma. If one speaks of dependent origination apart from the Tathagatagarbha, claiming that this dharma can produce that dharma, that is fundamentally untenable.

For example, ignorance conditions volitional formations; ignorance cannot produce the mental formations of the manas. It is the Tathagatagarbha that produces the mental formations of the manas. Because the manas has ignorance, not knowing the true reality of the dharma realm, refusing to abide in the quiescent true suchness, it gives rise to the mind seeking external greed. The Tathagatagarbha then, in accordance with the ignorance of the manas, produces the mental formations of the manas, causing the manas to generate internal agitation, desiring to grasp the dharmas of the three realms and the five aggregates of body and mind, and wanting to have bodily, verbal, and mental actions.

Volitional formations condition consciousness. Due to this agitated and outwardly seeking mental activity of the manas, the Tathagatagarbha satisfies the volitional mental factor of the manas, producing the six consciousnesses, allowing the manas to utilize the six consciousnesses to fulfill its intentions and create all bodily, verbal, and mental actions.

Consciousness conditions name and form. Because the mental activity of the manas does not cease, and the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses are continuous, the Tathagatagarbha automatically stores karmic seeds, thus planting the seeds for rebirth in future lives. At the time of death, the mental activity of the manas does not cease; seeking the five-aggregate body, the Tathagatagarbha will give birth to the intermediate state body. Within the intermediate state body, the manas is not satisfied with the temporary form body and still desires the five-aggregate body of the next life. When the conditions of parents are complete, the Tathagatagarbha follows the manas to take rebirth, and name and form are produced.

Name and form condition the six sense bases. After the fertilized egg of name and form is formed, the Tathagatagarbha, in accordance with the manas’ conception of the five-aggregate body, continuously transforms the form body based on karmic seeds and conditions, causing the eye faculty, ear faculty, nose faculty, and tongue faculty to grow on the form body, while the body faculty continuously grows and perfects. Thus, the five sense faculties are created by the Tathagatagarbha, and together with the manas, the six sense bases are complete.

The six sense bases condition contact. When the conditions of the six sense bases are complete, because the manas wants to perceive the six dusts, the Tathagatagarbha transmits the external six dusts to the five subtle sense faculties through the five sense faculties, causing the six faculties to come into contact with the six dusts. This contact is also produced by the Tathagatagarbha.

Contact conditions feeling. When the six faculties can contact the six dusts, the manas wants to discern the six dusts, so the Tathagatagarbha gives birth to ear consciousness, nose consciousness, tongue consciousness, body consciousness, and mental consciousness to collectively discern the objects of the six dusts (in the womb, eye consciousness cannot yet be born to see forms). Thus, the six consciousnesses have feelings toward the six dusts, including the three feelings of pleasure, pain, and neither-pain-nor-pleasure. The manas also has its own feelings within this, and these feelings are also born from the Tathagatagarbha.

Feeling conditions craving. Because there are the three feelings of the six consciousnesses, the manas, relying on the feelings of the six consciousnesses, has its own feelings. When it contacts dust objects, it also has feelings—either pleasurable feelings of greed and attachment, painful feelings of aversion and rejection, or neutral feelings. Due to these feelings, craving arises, especially the craving of the manas. The Tathagatagarbha, based on this, can produce all subsequent bodily, verbal, and mental actions, giving rise to more dharmas. The feelings of the six consciousnesses and the feelings of the manas are all produced by the Tathagatagarbha’s output of consciousness seeds. The craving of the six consciousnesses is also produced by the Tathagatagarbha’s output of consciousness seeds, especially the craving of the manas, which is born by the Tathagatagarbha based on the feelings of the manas.

Craving conditions grasping. Because the manas has craving, it produces a grasping nature, desiring to possess and grasp the myriad dharmas of the six dusts in the three realms. This grasping nature is also produced by the Tathagatagarbha’s output of consciousness seeds. Apart from the Tathagatagarbha, there is no manas, let alone the feelings, craving, and grasping nature of the manas.

Grasping conditions becoming. Due to the manas’ grasping of the myriad dharmas in the three realms, the Tathagatagarbha continuously produces all dharmas of the three realms in accordance with the mental activity of the manas. Becoming conditions birth. After the dharmas of the three realms are produced, the environment for the existence of the five-aggregate body is complete, and thus the Tathagatagarbha will give birth to the five-aggregate body.

Birth conditions aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress. Because the five-aggregate body is of an impermanent and illusory nature, after birth, the Tathagatagarbha sustains it, continuously outputting the four great elements seeds, causing the form body to continuously grow, gradually age, and finally die. Within this, there will be immeasurable suffering of birth and death, with endless sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress. These sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death are also born by the Tathagatagarbha dependent on conditions. The root cause is still the grasping nature of the manas and the craving of the manas. Only by eliminating the craving of the manas can all suffering be eliminated.

From the above Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, it can be seen that all dharmas of the three realms arise because of the craving and grasping of the manas. The Tathagatagarbha, in accordance with the manas and karmic seeds, produces all dharmas of the five-aggregate world. Birth, death, suffering, and happiness are all born from the Tathagatagarbha. Apart from the Tathagatagarbha, there are no dharmas. Apart from the grasping of the manas, the Tathagatagarbha would not produce dharmas. Therefore, within all dharmas, there is the manifest functioning of the manas and the Tathagatagarbha; no dharmas can exist apart from the manas and the Tathagatagarbha.