The Attribution of Tathāgatagarbha Demonstrates Its Non-Communality

All dharmas have attribution. Material forms can be divided by quantity, but consciousness and mind cannot be divided by quantity. The Tathāgatagarbha also has attribution, belonging to the seven consciousnesses and five aggregates, yet it is not divided by quantity. Just like the consciousnesses of eye, ear, mental consciousness, and manas—all have attribution, belonging to the five aggregates, yet none can be divided by quantity. Consciousnesses cannot be counted, yet all have their attribution; otherwise, sentient beings could share them, and that would be chaotic. If there were no attribution, good and bad karma would also lack attribution, which would be equivalent to having no cause and effect. Sentient being A would create karmic causes, yet sentient being B would receive the karmic results, and there would be no correct principle in either the mundane or supramundane realms.

Precisely because the Tathāgatagarbha has attribution, the Tathāgatagarbha of a Buddha possesses the nature of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, while the Tathāgatagarbha of sentient beings lacks the nature of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. This is because the five aggregates and seven consciousnesses differ, karmic causes differ, karmic results differ, and thus the Tathāgatagarbha differs. Even the Tathāgatagarbha of an Equal Enlightenment or Wondrous Enlightenment Bodhisattva lacks the nature of permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and the Tathāgatagarbha of an ordinary person is even further removed from it. Therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha of a Buddha and that of sentient beings differ greatly. Ordinary beings must cultivate for three great asamkhyeya kalpas before their Tathāgatagarbha can transform into the nature of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. How can the Tathāgatagarbha transform into the state of permanence, bliss, self, and purity at the Buddha ground? This requires cultivating the seven consciousnesses until they become completely pure, free from ignorance, and all defilements stored within the Tathāgatagarbha are eliminated; then it transforms into the nature of permanence, bliss, self, and purity. Therefore, due to differences in the duration and degree of sentient beings' cultivation, the function of their Tathāgatagarbha varies.

In reality, the essence of the Tathāgatagarbha is equal for both sentient beings and Buddhas. However, the inequality of the seven consciousnesses and five aggregates causes the functions of the Tathāgatagarbha to be constrained, resulting in differences. The seven consciousnesses refer to the first seven consciousnesses. The seven consciousnesses of sentient beings differ greatly from those of a Buddha, causing the Tathāgatagarbha to also differ greatly. When the nature of the seven consciousnesses is transformed into the nature of wisdom, the eighth consciousness, the Tathāgatagarbha, becomes the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, and the sentient being becomes a Buddha. The Tathāgatagarbha of a Buddha is called the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, while that of an ordinary person is called the Ālaya-vijñāna. Because their functions differ, their names differ. Originally, the supernatural powers and wondrous functions of the Ālaya-vijñāna and the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom are not two and not different. However, due to the differing karma of the first seven consciousnesses, defiled karma limits the vast functions of the Ālaya-vijñāna, preventing it from manifesting the boundless supernatural powers and wondrous functions of the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom.