Does the Emptiness of Mind Preclude the Manifestation of States?

As long as sentient beings possess the manas (mental faculty) and the five aggregates (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness) exist, the Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) will output karmic seeds and the seeds of the seven elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space, consciousness, and perception), manifesting the dharmas required by the five aggregates, thereby causing various realms to appear. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas possess manas and the five aggregates; thus, they exist within all worldly realms, extensively delivering sentient beings with affinities. However, this in no way affects their realization of mental emptiness or the virtue of non-self. For mental emptiness does not mean annihilating all dharmas to be called emptiness; rather, it is not regarding any dharma as real, not pursuing any dharma, and not clinging to any dharma — this is true mental emptiness. Mental emptiness means emptying the mind of dharmas, preventing it from dwelling in existence, not annihilating dharmas while leaving the mind behind. If all dharmas were annihilated, first the manas would cease, followed by the extinction of the five-aggregate body. Then the sentient being would vanish, and the dharmas would subsequently cease. In such a case, this person having disappeared, they could no longer practice the Dharma nor attain Buddhahood. Some Arhats do this at the end of their lives. Before the end of life, while the Arhat's manas and five aggregates still exist, the Tathāgatagarbha manifests all dharmas necessary for the Arhat's existence, including their realm.

The key point of this issue is understanding what mental emptiness truly means. Mental emptiness is perceiving dharmas as empty and observing their emptiness; it is not extinguishing dharmas to make them non-existent. Many people misunderstand mental emptiness, believing emptiness means non-existence. True mental emptiness means that no matter what dharma arises, the mind knows its essential nature is empty, thus neither pursuing nor clinging to it, and not giving rise to afflictions.

If emptiness meant non-existence, then if someone believed they were empty, would they still eat and act? Would their physical body still engage in activities? Would they have annihilated themselves? Why do those who claim to be empty still speak with their mouths? Why do they still type with their hands? Isn't emptiness supposed to mean non-existence? This is a grave misunderstanding. The Buddha was the most thoroughly empty, yet the Buddha still engaged in activities of the five aggregates, still taught the Dharma within realms to extensively deliver sentient beings, and even taught about the five aggregates themselves and the formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness of the world. By teaching this, was the Buddha acknowledging the five aggregates as real? Was he admitting the world is real? Neither is the case. The Buddha taught the five aggregates so sentient beings could correctly understand them and, through practice, realize their emptiness. He taught about the world so sentient beings could correctly understand it and, through practice, realize its illusory nature, thereby attaining mental emptiness. Therefore, mental emptiness refers to a state of mind; it is not about making realms empty. Realms are inherently empty. Regardless of whether the mind is empty or not, realms still manifest. No matter what realm manifests, the mind empties it — neither mindful of it, abiding in it, nor attached to it.