What Is the Cause of Dharmas Produced by Causes and Conditions?

The condition required for all dharmas is a supporting condition and an aiding force, meaning assistance and support, not a dominant role. The dominant role is the primary cause that gives rise to the dharma or the result. For example, if A is beaten by B, this is an unwholesome dharma. The condition is the encounter between A and B, where the phenomenon of beating arises by relying on a person or an event. In truth, prior to this, there was a cause that led to the occurrence of this event. Without that prior cause, even if the conditions were fully present, this event would not occur. If there were no prior cause, even if this beating incident occurred, it would become the cause for future events to arise. When supporting conditions appear later, due to the cause of this incident, A may seek revenge on B, and B might be beaten or experience other unpleasant behaviors.

The prior cause is a dharma produced by causes and conditions—it is unreal. The consequence is also a dharma produced by causes and conditions—similarly unreal. Whichever dharma it may be, all are dharmas produced by causes and conditions, all unreal and insubstantial. The cause is unreal, the condition is unreal, and the result is unreal—all are manifested through the combined functioning of the eight consciousnesses. The driving forces are the manas and karmic seeds, while the creator is the Tathāgatagarbha. With the cooperation of the six consciousnesses, dharmas are magically manifested. Among them, the seven consciousnesses are also illusory—unreal dharmas producing unreal dharmas, unreal upon unreal. Only the Tathāgatagarbha is non-illusory, thus capable of manifesting all dharmas. If the Tathāgatagarbha were also illusory, then there would be a dharma that illusorily manifests the Tathāgatagarbha. Tracing further back, all would be unreal. If there were no non-illusory dharma, the Dharma Realm could not be established.