The Five Great Seed Functions of Tathāgatagarbha

The inherent seeds of the Tathāgatagarbha are the seven great seeds. Among them, the five great seeds—earth, water, fire, wind, and space—are the fundamental elements that constitute material form (rūpa-dharma). The perceiving element and the consciousness element are the elements that constitute the eight consciousnesses of sentient beings, which are mental dharmas. Form dharmas refer to the six sense-objects: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects (dharmas), plus the five sense faculties of sentient beings, making a total of eleven form dharmas. All material form dharmas in the universe and the receptacle world, including the physical bodies of sentient beings—ranging from the vastness of the entire cosmic world down to the minute dust particles possessing form, sound, smell, taste, and touch—are formed by the Tathāgatagarbha using the five great seeds.

How does the Tathāgatagarbha output the five great seeds to form material form dharmas? The initial output of the five great seeds is formless and immaterial, neither matter nor mind. After forming the initial, extremely minute particles, they transform into form dharmas with characteristics. The initial form dharmas are not only invisible to the naked eye but also undetectable by the most sophisticated microscopes. As particles rapidly accumulate and combine, they gradually enlarge, becoming minuscule particles detectable by precision instruments, such as electrons, protons, neutrons, nucleons, quarks, etc., ultimately forming tangible matter visible to the naked eye.

This operation of the Tathāgatagarbha is truly inconceivable—it transforms formless seeds into tangible form dharmas, as if conjured out of thin air. The Tathāgatagarbha can be called the greatest magician. By merely altering the proportion and quantity of the five great seeds slightly, the material form dharmas undergo corresponding changes, altering the properties of matter. Moreover, the five great seeds within material form dharmas are output and withdrawn instantaneously, moment by moment. If matter is in a growth phase, the number of seeds output continuously increases, and the proportions also change. If matter is in a phase of decay or maturation, the output of seeds gradually decreases, and the proportions likewise shift.

Even within the same type of matter, at different stages and under varying environmental conditions, the composition differs, the function differs, the color, fragrance, and taste differ, the emission capacity differs, the speed of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing differs, and the shape and appearance differ. From the very beginning, the minute particles possess a certain potential and kinetic energy. Because seeds are output onto the particles and withdrawn instantaneously, moment by moment, without pause in the cycle of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, the particles move at high speeds along fixed trajectories in an orderly manner, thereby generating energy. From the tiniest particles continuously aggregating to form small particles, small particles further gathering into larger particles, and then forming even larger particles, they ultimately become matter with fixed shapes. During this process, energy accumulates increasingly, the forces involved grow progressively stronger, and magnetic fields likewise intensify.

All types of particles move with a certain regularity and along fixed orbits. This movement generates potential energy; where there is potential energy, there is energy. Harnessing this energy can benefit human existence. With numerous types of matter, the varieties of energy produced are also manifold. The various disciplines that appear in the secular world—such as physics, chemistry, optics, and others—all study material form dharmas, investigating the energy of material form dharmas and its transformation, as well as the law of conservation of energy. Yet, none have arrived at a final, perfect conclusion. Because scientists do not understand the Dharma of the Tathāgatagarbha and are unaware of its operating principles within material form dharmas, all their advanced research and scientific experiments inevitably fall short of ultimate completeness and perfection. Only the Buddha can perceive the ultimate source of the material world.

If we combine the principles behind the generation of material form dharmas with scientific experiments, we can unveil all the inconceivable phenomena existing in the universe—physics, chemistry, optics, mathematics, and so forth. When we master Yogācāra (Consciousness-Only) and attain the wisdom-seed of Yogācāra, we can thoroughly investigate all disciplines of the world with perfect clarity, penetrating directly to their roots. This includes all fields of study—religion, philosophy, psychology, physiology, biology, etc.—all of which are functions of the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha reveals all the mysteries within the trichiliocosm (three-thousandfold world system), thus manifesting the universal truth within the human world. Relying on this, we can attain the deepest and greatest wisdom. When wisdom reaches its ultimate perfection, we become the All-Knowing One—the Buddha, the World-Honored One.

After we cultivate the Buddha Dharma, realize the mind, and perceive the true nature, and then progress further in our cultivation, attaining partial realization of the seed functions of the Tathāgatagarbha and developing the wisdom of Yogācāra, then within worldly dharmas, merely by engaging with a single category and applying our energy to any field of study, we can become top talents in that field, surpassing the world's most eminent scientists. In any subject, any method, any domain, we can become a supreme expert. This is the greatest benefit we gain in the realm of worldly dharmas from studying the Buddha Dharma, studying Yogācāra, and realizing the Consciousness-Only nature and Suchness nature of all dharmas. The Buddha Dharma enables us to be wise in any field and invincible in worldly dharmas.