The Tathāgatagarbha, Conditioned by Dependent Origination, Manifests Material Phenomena through the Four Great Elements

The Tathāgatagarbha manifests the five aggregates body or transforms the physical body in accordance with karmic conditions. If it relied solely on the four great elements within the Tathāgatagarbha, there would be no need for parental conditions or any other conditions. Consequently, all sentient beings would be completely identical, all worlds and material phenomena would be entirely uniform, and the Tathāgatagarbha's manifestation of the three realms' vessel-like world and the five aggregates body would not require the manas (intellect) or the six consciousnesses. Thus, the world would be monotonously homogeneous, and there would be no discussion of karmic forces or distinctions among sentient beings. The Tathāgatagarbha would then become a sovereign consciousness, with the world generated by its governance, causing the Tathāgatagarbha to possess self-nature rather than being anātman (selfless).