and from that point of view it may be regarded as the Dharma-kaya of all Buddhas.  It is also called Tathagatagarbha, the womb or store-house of the Buddha, from which all individual existences are evolved under the law of causation, but this aspect of it is already affected by ignorance, for in Bhuta-tathata as known in the light of the highest truth there is neither causation nor production.  The Yogacara employs the word sunyata (void), though not so much as its sister school, but it makes special use of the term alaya-vijnana, the receptacle or store of consciousness.  This in so far as it is superindividual is an aspect of suchness, but when it affirms and particularises itself it becomes citta, that is the human mind, or to be more accurate the substratum of the human mind from which is developed manas, or the principle of will, self-consciousness and self-affirmation.  Similarly the Vedanta philosophy, though it has no term corresponding to alaya-vijnana, is familiar with the idea that Brahman is in one aspect immeasurable and all-embracing but in another is infinitesimal and dwells in the human heart:  or that Brahman after creating the world entered into it.  Again another aspect of suchness is enlightenment (bodhi), that is absolute knowledge free from the limitations of subject and object.  This “is the universal Dharma-kaya of the Tathagatas” and on account of this all Tathagatas are spoken of as abiding in enlightenment a priori.  This enlightenment may be negative (as sunyata) in the sense that it transcends all relations but it may also be affirmative and then “it transforms and unfolds itself, whenever conditions are favourable, in the form of a Tathagata or some other form in order that all beings may be induced to bring their store of merit to maturity."[113]

It will be seen from the above that the absolute truth of the Mahayanists varies from a severely metaphysical conception, the indescribable thing in itself, to something very like an all-pervading benevolent essence which from time to time takes shape in a Buddha.  And here we see how easy is the transition from the old Buddhism to a form of pantheism.  For if we admit that the Buddha is a superhuman intelligence appearing from time to time according to a certain law, we add little to this statement by saying that the essence or spirit of the cosmos manifests itself from time to time as a Buddha.  Only, such words as essence or spirit are not really correct.  The world of individuals is the same as the highest truth, the same as the Dharma-kaya, the same as Nirvana.  It is only through ignorance that it appears to be different and particularized.  Ignorance, the essence of which consists in believing in the distinction between subject and object, is also called defilement and the highest truth passes through various stages of defilement ending with that where under the influence of egoism and passion the external world of particulars