Tathāgatagarbha Possesses Both the Unconditioned and Conditioned Natures

The unconditioned dharmas are divided into two types: one refers to the inherent unconditioned nature of Tathāgatagarbha, while the other refers to the acquired unconditioned mind-nature cultivated through practice by the deluded mind of the seven consciousnesses. Among the eight consciousnesses, only Tathāgatagarbha is the originally unconditioned mind, belonging to the unconditioned dharmas. Because it is the mind of emptiness, it does not intentionally create any dharma appearances, does not intentionally create any karmic actions, and when conditions are absent or incomplete, it neither gives birth to nor sustains any dharma. Tathāgatagarbha always remains unchanging yet accommodating, accommodating yet unchanging. One characteristic of its unconditioned nature is its accommodating quality—yielding to circumstances like drifting with the current, without self-assertion, and refraining from forcing matters when conditions are absent or incomplete. Moreover, Tathāgatagarbha lacks self-nature and does not act autonomously; it is also empty-minded and unconditioned, without form or volition, thus Tathāgatagarbha is non-acting. Therefore, it is said that Tathāgatagarbha is not the sovereign consciousness, for only with a self does one seek to act as sovereign, or even prioritize the self. Since Tathāgatagarbha is selfless, it has no intention to dominate any dharma.

Tathāgatagarbha possesses both an unconditioned nature and a conditioned nature. The unconditioned nature of Tathāgatagarbha refers to its fundamental mind-nature being non-purposive, acting without intention toward all dharmas, without the active desire to create any dharma, and exercising no sovereignty over any dharma. Although Tathāgatagarbha engages in creation and mental activity when giving birth to all dharmas, its mind-nature remains unconditioned—unaware of what it is creating, ignorant of objective dharmas, without the desire to know, yet still able to give birth to all dharmas according to conditions. Despite creating countless worldly dharmas, its mind remains empty, intentionless, volitionless, without arising or ceasing, without sovereignty, and without self-nature. Tathāgatagarbha is devoid of self-nature; selflessness is unconditioned—it acts not for the self, not for any purpose, and without personal gain. If Tathāgatarbha were not an unconditioned dharma, there would be no unconditioned dharma whatsoever in either the mundane or supramundane realms. No matter how unconditioned the seven consciousnesses may be, they cannot match the unconditioned nature of Tathāgatagarbha—even the seven consciousnesses at the stage of Buddhahood are no exception.

If a selfless mind still belongs to the conditioned dharmas, it would constitute a grave contradiction. If Tathāgatagarbha were purely a conditioned dharma, it would necessarily be subject to arising and ceasing. How then is Tathāgatagarbha conditioned? The creation of worldly dharmas is conditioned, yet within this conditioning lies unconditionedness. If Tathāgatagarbha were purely conditioned, what would the seven consciousnesses learn from it? How could the seven consciousnesses draw near to Tathāgatagarbha, learn from it, and thereby transform their own mind-nature? How could the seven consciousnesses remain unmoved like thusness in the face of all circumstances? How could the seven consciousnesses attain complete unconditionedness and accomplish the Buddha Way? If Tathāgatagarbha were purely a conditioned dharma, our meditation to realize Tathāgatagarbha would be unnecessary. Moreover, after awakening, we could not transfer reliance to the pure unconditioned nature of Tathāgatagarbha, and the seven consciousnesses would forever be unable to transform their mind-nature. In this case, whether awakened or not, one could not attain Buddhahood.