The Emptiness-nature of Tathāgata

 

“Tathāgata transcends frivolous sophistries. People who live with frivolous sophistries, which undermine their wisdom-eye, will not see the Buddha. The inherent nature of Tathāgata denotes the nature of the mundane world. Tathāgata is devoid of the existent nature, and the mundane world is also without a nature.” 

Observing the Tathāgata, Chapter 22, Vol. 4, Mūlamadhyamakakārikā  

【如來過戲論，而人生戲論，戲論破慧眼，是皆不見佛。

如來所有性，即是世間性，如來無有性，世間亦無性。】

《中論》卷4，〈觀如來品 第二十二〉

Remarks:

The state of one’s own Tathāgata mind transcends linguistic convention and frivolous sophistries. However, people fall into and become engrossed in knowledge, discrimination, and conceptual proliferations. Due to these frivolous sophistries, the generation of their wisdom-eye for discernment and choice-making is undermined, preventing them from seeing the inherent Buddha, the tathāgatagarbha mind, within themselves.

The whole dharmic nature (dharmatā) of one’s Tathāgata mind essentially refers to the true nature pertaining to the secularity of the five aggregates. However, the nature of the Tathāgata mind is devoid of the existent nature of the three realms. Similarly, the worldly five aggregates also lack an inherent self-nature. That is, all belong to the wondrous true nature of the Tathāgata.

The Tathāgata nature denotes the ultimate reality of the various dharmas of the five aggregates; it does not have the existent nature of the three realms, so it is called emptiness-nature. Although empty, it has the nature of transforming and giving rise to all phenomena; hence, emptiness-nature, which brings forth the five-aggregate dharmas depending on the conditions. On the other hand, the five-aggregate dharmas have no inherent self-nature and are formed by supportive conditions coming together. As such, they are impermanent and do not have an intrinsic nature.

Nonetheless, the empty intrinsic nature of the five-aggregate dharmas belongs to one of the aspects of the Tathāgata mind’s emptiness-nature. Given that the five-aggregate dharmas rely on the Tathāgata mind to appear, the seeds contained in the Tathāgata mind will manifest as various conditions coming together to function; thus, it is also said that the inherent nature of Tathāgata is not different from the nature of the mundane world.

The emptiness-nature of Tathāgata has brought about the worldly five aggregates, which do not have an intrinsic nature. Therefore, the emptiness-nature of Tathāgata encompasses the notion of being empty of an intrinsic nature. Notably, the mundane world’s characteristic of being “empty, without an intrinsic nature” cannot be mistaken to be synonymous with the emptiness-nature of Tathāgata. The emptiness-nature of Tathāgata denotes being devoid of the existence of the three realms, and having no self and no self-belonging. It transcends the natures of seeing, hearing, feeling, and cognizing the six sense objects, including discernment and contemplation. It also departs from spoken language and the like. Thus, within this dharma of ultimate emptiness, there are no sentient beings, no true dharma, and no incorrect dharma. There is neither a realm nor a non-realm and neither a coming nor a going. As such, this dharma of ultimate reality is everlasting, without arising or ceasing, and without attachment or detachment.

Suppose an individual has an inverted view of the notion of being empty of an intrinsic nature, which belongs to the worldly five aggregates, considering it the emptiness-nature of Tathāgata.  Consequently, all discussions will redound to the notion of arising and ceasing or existence and non-existence, which corresponds with the worldly five aggregates. It will thus be impossible for practitioners to penetrate the true reality of one’s Tathāgata mind, the emptiness-nature, which is originally without birth and ultimate emptiness.

In light of the foregoing, practitioners engaging in frivolous sophistries will not only undermine their chances of seeing the inherent Buddha, the tathāgatagarbha mind, within themselves, but will also inevitably have inverted views about the emptiness-nature of Tathāgata.

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