DESCRIPTION

The final chapter of the Seventh Assembly is called the ‘Manifestation of the Tathāgata’ 如來出現. This title may be compared to the title of Chapter Two: the ‘Appearance of the Tathagata’ 如來現相.

The chapter begins with a miraculous display of lights by the World-Honored One, beginning with light from the white tuft of hair between his eyebrows, followed by light from his mouth. A bodhisattva named Sublime Qualities of the Manifestations of the Tathāgata's Nature then inquires about the ‘manifestation’ of a Tathāgata. Samantabhadra explains ten aspects to there being a Tathāgata in the world:

I - The infinity of causes and conditions for their manifestation

Which is like the formation of the worlds in a three thousand great thousand world-system in that:

There is not just one cause. It is thus by the nature of things-without production or creation, yet nevertheless takes place.
Just as the great ‘deluge’ at the beginning of a world can only be absorbed by the world, only the bodhisattva mahasattva’s power of ‘continuity of awareness’ - 大菩薩心相續力 is able to absorb and hold the Dharma Rain.
The Dharma Rain, which comes from nowhere and goes nowhere.
Just as only Maheśvara can count every rain drop, bodhisattvas “comprehend every single expression and phrase, and how they enter beings' minds.”
Just as there are five raining clouds: Extinguisher, Producer, Stopper, Maker, and Distinguisher, the Buddha manifesting has five ‘rain clouds’ that extinguish afflictions, produce good roots, stop deluded views, make jewels of wisdom, and distinguish beings’ inclinations.
The Dharma Rain has one flavor
Just as when worlds form, the abodes of heaven are made first and then lower realms, the manifestation of a Tathāgata first produces the wisdom of bodhisattva practice, then the lesser vehicles
Just as when the world is first forming an enormous lotus flower appears and Maheśvara and the other devas know Buddhas will appear, and wind disc atmospheres arise, when a Tathāgata manifests, lights of unexcelled knowledge arise.
Just as space, though not resting on anything, enables the universe to abide - the manifestation of a Tathāgata is enabled by the light of unobstructed wisdom, though it depends on nothing.
Just as the formation of the world benefits all living beings, the manifestation of a Tathāgata benefits all beings.

II - The Body of a Tathāgata

That should be seen in infinite places and everywhere, like space.
That should be seen to be like space, which is not a form but can reveal form, the body of the Tathāgata reveals worldly and transcendent good roots and actions.
That it is like the sun, shinning everywhere, the Tathagata's vast ‘wisdom sun-body’ emits boundless light, universally illuminating all.
That it is like the sun, benefitting all indiscriminately.
That it is like the sun, although not seen by the blind, nonetheless there.
That it is like the moon, outshining all stars (lesser vehicles), waxing and wanning (appearing to age), reflected in all waters (pure minds), appearing to be right before everyone equally.
That appears everywhere without dividing, like the bodies of the Great Brahmā King
That is ‘embalmed’ like a master physician who mummifies his own body to stay active in the future.
If any being touches the wisdom light of the Buddha's body-jewel, they take on the color of the Buddha's body. If any see it, their Dharma-eye becomes pure.
The Tathāgata's body is like a wish-fulfilling jewel king, invisible to those of little merit.

III - The Sound of the Voice of a Tathāgata

Which is omnipresent, because it pervades all sound(s), and is therefore neither measurable nor immeasurable, neither with owner nor without owner, neither demonstrating nor not demonstrating, and that it does not come from the body or the mind, yet it can benefit countless beings.
Which is like an echo, arising from valleys and sounds, without form or shape, invisible and indiscernible, yet able to follow all languages. The Tathāgata's voice is also like this - without form or shape, invisible, neither located nor not located; it merely arises in response to beings' desires to understand, its nature ultimately beyond words and demonstration, indescribable.
Which does not dwell in any place and has no speech, like the great Dharma drum of the devas that has no owner, no creator, no arising, no ceasing, yet it can benefit countless beings.
Which, from a single sound, emits countless sounds, reaching all beings according to their different mental inclinations, enabling all to understand.
Which is heard by the entire assembly at the site of enlightenment, yet that sound does not go beyond the assembly.
Which has only one taste, namely the taste of liberation. Due to the differences in the mind-vessels of sentient beings, there are countless differences in how it is heard, yet it has no thoughts or discriminations.
Which does not come from outside, nor does it emerge from within, yet it can benefit all sentient beings, like a Naga’s rain.
Which, like a good Naga’s rain, does not come all at once, but comes as needed.
Which may expound Dharma with ten kinds of different sounds, or a hundred, or a thousand, or a hundred thousand, or with eighty-four thousand sounds to expound eighty-four thousand practices, up to countless hundreds of thousands of billions of nayutas of sounds, each expounding the Dharma differently, causing all who hear to be joyful.
Which rains Dharma [**Reading the text and describing it are now integrated***]

IV - The Mind of a Tathāgata

Like space is the support for all things, yet space itself has no support. The Tathāgata's wisdom is also like this, being the support for all worldly and transcendent wisdom, yet the Tathāgata's wisdom has no support.
The Tathāgata's wisdom constantly produces all kinds of worldly and transcendent wisdom, yet the Tathāgata's wisdom neither increases nor decreases
The water of the Tathāgata's wisdom ocean is also like this, flowing into the hearts of all sentient beings.
The ocean of the Tathāgata's wisdom has four great jewels: the jewel of undefiled upāya, the jewel that well distinguishes conditioned and unconditioned dharmas, the jewel that expounds countless dharmas without destroying the nature of dharmas, and the jewel that knows right and wrong timing without ever making a mistake.
The ocean floor of the Tathāgata's wisdom has four great wisdom jewels with light that touches all bodhisattvas, causing them to attain the Tathāgata's great wisdom. A jewel that extinguishes all scattered good wave-like thoughts, a jewel that removes all attachment to dharmas, a jewel of wisdom light that universally illuminates, and a jewel that is equal to the Tathāgata, boundless and effortless.
The Tathāgata's wisdom pervades all. Although it universally contains immeasurable wisdom, it has no discrimination.
The Tathagata's wisdom great medicinal king tree causes all bodhisattvas to grow roots of great kindness and compassion that do not abandon sentient beings.
The Tathagata's wisdom distinguishes all sentient beings of the three times, all lands, all kalpa numbers, and all dharmas. There is nothing it does not know.
If there were no such Tathagata's skillful maintenance ‘wisdom-wind’, countless bodhisattvas would fall to the grounds of sravakas and pratyekabuddhas.
There is not a single sentient being that does not possess the Tathagata's wisdom, but due to deluded thoughts, inverted views, and attachments, they do not realize it. - It’s like a great sutra scroll with everything in the universe written on it, hidden inside every dust particle.

V - The Sphere (viṣaya) of a Tathāgata

Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, with unobstructed and unhindered wisdom, know that:

All worldly realms are the realm of the Tathāgata
All realms of the three times, all buddha-fields, all dharmas, all sentient beings
The realm of true suchness without differentiation
The unobstructed realm of the Dharmadhātu
The boundless realm of ultimate reality
The immeasurable realm of space
The realmless realm is the Tathāgata's realm

The realm of mind is the realm of the Tathāgata.

VI - The ‘Actions’ (or Saṃskāra conditioning, or practices) of a Tathāgata

Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas should know that unobstructed action is the Tathāgata's action, and should know that true suchness action is the Tathāgata's action.

VII - The Awakening of a Tathāgata

Knowing that all dharmas are without nature, they attain all-knowing wisdom, continue with great compassion, and save and liberate sentient beings.

VIII - The Turning of the Dharma Wheel of a Tathāgata

Just as all written and spoken words cannot be exhausted even if spoken until the end of future kalpas, so too is the Buddha's turning of the Dharma wheel, established and demonstrated in all words, without rest or end. The Tathāgata's Dharma wheel enters all languages and writings without abiding anywhere. Like written characters enter all affairs, all speech, all calculations, all worldly and transcendent places without abiding anywhere; the Tathāgata's voice is also like this, entering all places, all beings, all dharmas, all actions, and all results without abiding.

All the various languages of sentient beings are not separate from the Tathāgata's Dharma wheel. Why? Because the true nature of speech and sound is itself the Dharma wheel.

IX - The parinirvāṇa of a Tathāgata

As true suchness is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa; as ultimate reality is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa; as the dharma realm is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa; as empty space is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa; as the nature of dharmas is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa; as the limit of desirelessness is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa; as the limit of signlessness is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa; as the limit of self-nature is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa; as the limit of the nature of all dharmas is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa; as the limit of true suchness is nirvāṇa, so is the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa. Why? Because nirvāṇa has no birth and no arising; if a dharma has no birth and no arising, then it has no cessation.

X - The good roots of paying homage to a Tathāgata

Good roots planted by seeing, hearing, and drawing near to the Tathāgata are not in vain

“The Tathāgata uses all kinds of analogies to explain various matters, but there is no analogy that can fully explain this Dharma.”

CH 37 - Manifestation of the Tathāgata