The Right Understanding of Manas
Chapter 8: The Relationship Between Manas and Karmic Seeds (2)
6. How is retribution for grievances realized? How is karma realized? Sentient beings have changed bodies, changed their conscious minds, changed their first five consciousnesses, and no longer recognize each other. How then is the mind of revenge and karma realized?
Karma is realized by the manas. After sentient beings create karma, the karmic seeds are stored in the Tathagatagarbha. When conditions ripen, the Tathagatagarbha outputs the karmic seeds, sentient beings receive the retribution, and karma is thus realized. The realization of karma, whether it is the fulfillment of good vows or the fulfillment of evil vows, not only relies on the Tathagatagarbha's storage and output of the karmic seeds generated by the vows but also relies on the volition (manaskara) and deliberation (cetana) of the manas. Vows made in past lives exist as seeds in the Tathagatagarbha. When causes and conditions mature, the seeds are transmitted, and actions proceed according to the wishes of the past lives. The making of vows in past lives was determined by the manas; it was approved by the manas, or even actively initiated by the manas. This wish belongs to the manas; it arises from the depths of the heart.
After the manas has a wish, it continues to grasp onto the vow that was made. No matter how many kalpas pass, the manas will continue to grasp onto it. When conditions ripen, the Tathagatagarbha will output the karmic seeds. The result is twofold: one is the direct realization of the karmic fruit, the other is alerting the conscious mind (manovijnana), prompting the six consciousnesses to create bodily, verbal, and mental actions according to the karmic seeds and the attachments of the manas. The behavioral manifestations then become different from before or abnormal. Sometimes, when the conscious mind acts, it does not even know what it is doing; it unconsciously acts according to the wishes of the manas. At such times, the conscious mind cannot control itself and may sometimes exhibit impulsive behavior.
A person who has practiced, having made pure great vows, will unconsciously act according to those vows in another life, sometimes not knowing why they are doing so. When evil vows or curses made by the manas ripen in a certain life, the conscious mind will also unconsciously act accordingly, sometimes not knowing why it is doing so, often feeling helpless. Sometimes the conscious mind wants to control itself but cannot, because it is the manas that controls the conscious mind. The karmic force of the manas is something the conscious mind cannot free itself from. If the conscious mind understands principles, understands the Dharma, understands karma, it can analyze clearly to persuade and educate the manas. The manas may then heed the advice, change its attachments, thus avoiding the occurrence of evil karma and avoiding major evil consequences.
Therefore, we truly must often engage in correct contemplation in accordance with the Dharma to influence and guide the manas. The conscious mind itself must first understand the principles clearly in order to correctly influence the manas and guide it to correct its habits of ignorance. So, what are we cultivating? Primarily, it is the cultivation of the conscious mind and the manas. Allow the conscious mind to contact and be influenced by the correct Dharma principles. After understanding the principles, then influence the manas to change it. After the manas changes, our mental actions will become pure, and cultivation will succeed.
7. Manas belongs both to the outer faculties and the inner faculties; it belongs both to the outer consciousnesses and the inner consciousnesses. When it belongs to the inner faculties and inner consciousnesses, it corresponds to and contacts the inner dharmas (mental objects) manifested by the Tathagatagarbha at the subtle sense faculty (indriya), and it has a coarse discernment. This is its function as an inner faculty and inner consciousness. When it belongs to the outer faculties and outer consciousnesses, it has the function of outer faculties and outer consciousnesses, able to contact and discern dharmas outside the subtle sense faculty—that is, the dharmas manifested by the Tathagatagarbha, the part of the dharmas that has not yet entered the subtle sense faculty, the part that the conscious mind cannot access without supernatural powers (abhijna). This part is contacted and discerned by the manas.
For example, the body faculty manifested by the Tathagatagarbha can be directly accessed and directly discerned by the manas, which is why it can directly make decisions regarding the body faculty. The mountains, rivers, great earth, and the universe—the vessel world—manifested by the Tathagatagarbha, before they enter the subtle sense faculty, can also be accessed by the manas and coarsely discerned. After its coarse discernment, if it falls into the subtle sense faculty and the manas does not wish to see the form (rupa), it does not make the decision to see form. Then the eye consciousness and the conscious mind will not be produced by the Tathagatagarbha upon that form, and thus that form cannot be seen.
Dharmas that have not fallen into the subtle sense faculty are all outer dharmas. For example, the images of the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss manifested by the Tathagatagarbha cannot be discerned by the conscious mind unless it is in samadhi or dreaming. These images can be discerned by the manas. Because the manas vows to be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, it will go together with the Tathagatagarbha to the Pure Land to manifest lotus palaces. That Pure Land belongs to the outer dharmas, which the Tathagatagarbha directly accesses, and upon which the manas relies to directly grasp and discern. This is created jointly by it and the Tathagatagarbha; those dharmas are what the Tathagatagarbha accesses and what the manas grasps and discerns.
All dharmas that the conscious mind cannot discern, that have not yet fallen into the subtle sense faculty, belong to the outer intake of the manas; they are the dharmas grasped by the manas from outside the subtle sense faculty. This includes accessing people and events from past lives, past-life graves, past-life relatives—all are manifested by the Tathagatagarbha, then directly accessed and discerned by the manas. Then it will generate volition (manaskara) and the mental factor of deliberation (cetana) to make decisions and choices.
After the manas decides to take a certain action, if the six consciousnesses cannot participate in completing these actions, bodily, verbal, and mental actions cannot appear, because the six consciousnesses do not correspond to these dharmas. The manas and the Tathagatagarbha together directly complete these matters without the need for the six consciousnesses to participate. The Tathagatagarbha, complying with the manas, manifests those dharmas; the manas accesses them, then generates volition and the mental factor of deliberation regarding them. The Tathagatagarbha, knowing this, cooperates and acts together to complete the matter. All these correspond to the manas and are what the manas discerns.
Some actions can be completed without the participation of the six consciousnesses; the seventh and eighth consciousnesses alone can accomplish them. For example, the arising of the five aggregates (skandhas) is simultaneously accomplished by the seventh and eighth consciousnesses; the six consciousnesses are not involved. Matters like entering the mother's womb, arising as a gandharva (intermediate state being), manifesting a lotus, matters within a grave, alerting children from past lives, manifesting relatives from past lives—all are done together by the seventh and eighth consciousnesses. Those are all dharma appearances manifested by the Tathagatagarbha. The seventh consciousness, manas, can access the past, generate volition, contact, feeling, perception, and deliberation. After deciding, the two of them together operate and manifest it.
8. Question: All information is stored in the Tathagatagarbha, and manas is the function capable of storing and retrieving this information. When manas makes a certain decision based on the discernment of the conscious mind, the mental action and content of this decision become a seed, stored in the Tathagatagarbha through manas (this is the cause). When the various conditions for the realization of the content of the above decision mature (this is the condition), and causes and conditions are complete, the Tathagatagarbha knows this and, in accordance with conditions, brings the information content (seed) previously stored by manas into current manifestation. Manas immediately grasps onto it, and after contact and feeling, the mental factor of deliberation (cetana) calls forth the first six consciousnesses to give rise to bodily, verbal, and mental actions. All the information from creating karma is then stored again as seeds in the Tathagatagarbha through manas, becoming a new cause, awaiting the maturation of conditions to bear fruit. This cycle repeats. Is this correct?
Answer: It is correct. The seven fundamental seeds are the seeds inherently present in the Tathagatagarbha; they are not collected from the five aggregates. The karmic seeds created are collected into the Tathagatagarbha. The Tathagatagarbha both outputs the inherent seven fundamental seeds and outputs karmic seeds. The manifestation of karmic seeds relies on the seven fundamental seeds. After the karmic seeds are fully manifested and the retribution is complete, the karmic seeds disappear and cease to exist.
The importance or unimportance of a matter belongs to the realm of the six dusts (objects); the Tathagatagarbha cannot judge it. Even when the Tathagatagarbha outputs karmic seeds, it is not based on the importance of the karmic seed but on the condition of whether the conditions are ripe. If the Tathagatagarbha outputted karmic seeds based on importance, it would be selective and would not output karmic seeds as a matter of natural principle (dharmata). It would then be accommodating, not utterly impartial and without mercy. Moreover, the Tathagatagarbha also cannot discern the importance of karmic seeds; it does not know whether a karmic seed is important or not. However, significant karmic seeds easily ripen and are easily transmitted to manifest retribution.
The Tathagatagarbha does not differentiate the importance of karmic seeds; it does not care whether karmic seeds are significant or not. The urgency or importance of matters is differentiated by the seven consciousnesses; the Tathagatagarbha similarly cannot differentiate them. Otherwise, the Tathagatagarbha would have emotions, afflictions, worldly concerns, and feelings of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. In reality, the Tathagatagarbha does not possess these characteristics, nor does it know the urgency or importance of matters; it does not give birth to karmic conditions based on urgency or importance. If the Tathagatagarbha knew the urgency and importance of matters, then manas could plead with it, asking it to make an exception: "My meritorious karma is very important, please output it first, let me get rich first, and I will definitely reform in the future." See what reaction the Tathagatagarbha would have. This is absolutely not something that can be accommodated; the Tathagatagarbha has no gaps; nothing can be accommodated.
As for the limited supernatural powers of Arhats, the immeasurable supernatural powers of Buddhas, and some people without supernatural powers, that is due to the functional limitations of the seven consciousnesses themselves; it has nothing to do with the Tathagatagarbha but is related to the karmic seeds created by the seven consciousnesses. For example, killing a person: although the Tathagatagarbha does not differentiate whether the karma is heavy or light, the impact of the event itself is significant. Certainly, it is not just one person's Tathagatagarbha storing the karmic seed; at least two people's Tathagatagarbhas record the karmic seed. If the killer is to receive retribution in the future and is also killed once, the karmic conditions must ripen for both individuals; the two must meet, and the killing conditions must ripen for one to kill and the other to be killed. This is regardless of whether the karmic seed is important or not. The mental actions of manas can advance or delay the ripening of the conditions for the manifestation of karmic seeds in the Tathagatagarbha; this is entirely possible. If many people are involved, emotions are intense, and the attachments of each individual's manas are strong, it can hasten the ripening of karmic conditions. However, if the causes and conditions are not complete, the karmic fruit still cannot be realized; one can only wait until the conditions ripen.
9. How Karmic Seeds Manifest When Conditions Are Met
Because manas is ignorant and has a strong grasping nature, it refuses to be idle and is unwilling to be idle. It always wants to discern and create, leading to ignorant restlessness. Then the Tathagatagarbha, complying, manifests the dharmas of the three realms. When manas is active, the five universal mental factors (caitasika) operate along with it. Among them, the mental factor of deliberation (cetana) constantly deliberates and acts as the master. The Tathagatagarbha inevitably complies and cooperates to give birth to all dharmas. When manas is without ignorance, it still has wishes and vows. For example, the manas of a Buddha has extinguished all ignorance, but because the Buddha once made immeasurable pure great vows, relying on these great vows, the manas of the Buddha and its mental factors continuously operate. Then the Buddha's immaculate consciousness (amalavijnana) cooperates to manifest all dharmas of the three realms and the world, extensively benefiting immeasurable sentient beings. If manas does not want to do anything, if all traces of ignorance are severed and there is no vow power, sentient beings cannot live normally; they can only remain in deep samadhi for a long time or enter the state of Nirvana without remainder (nirupadhishesa-nirvana), accomplishing nothing.
The Tathagatagarbha outputs karmic seeds as a matter of natural principle (dharmata), realizing the causes, conditions, and karmic retribution of sentient beings, producing all dharmas of the three realms and the world. All karmic seeds are stored in the Tathagatagarbha. The Tathagatagarbha knows when these seeds will ripen or have already ripened, and then it outputs the ripened karmic seeds. Thus, when the karmic conditions of sentient beings manifest—that is, when it is time to repay the karmic retribution of sentient beings—when the karmic seeds are outputted, it is the time to fulfill the karmic connection and realize the karmic retribution. Then the karmic retribution of sentient beings manifests.
10. Manas is the Driving Force for Manifesting All Dharmas of the Three Realms
Manas prompts the Tathagatagarbha to produce the universe, the vessel world. Simultaneously, it is also the karmic seeds that prompt the Tathagatagarbha to give birth to the universe, the vessel world, preparing for the birth and existence of the five aggregates. Manas corresponds to karmic seeds; manas represents karma, whether it is good karma, evil karma, or neutral karma.
The birth of the universe, the vessel world, is a conditioned phenomenon (samskrta dharma) of the three realms, caused by karmic seeds. When the karmic conditions of all sentient beings ripen, it prompts all Tathagatagarbhas to output the four great seeds (mahabhuta), forming the four great elements. The Tathagatagarbhas of all sentient beings jointly manifest the universe, the vessel world. Only after it is created can sentient beings be born. The purpose lies with manas. If manas has no purpose, the karma for the three realms disappears, and like an Arhat, one enters Nirvana without remainder; then the three realms will also disappear.
The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination explain this principle of sentient beings' cyclic existence. When karmic causes and conditions ripen, sentient beings are born. Without the vessel world, there is no environment for survival, and the causes and conditions for the birth of sentient beings do not ripen. This condition is also brought about by manas. Manas is the driving force for manifesting all dharmas of the three realms.
11. How the Tathagatagarbha Gives Birth to Manas in Nirvana Without Remainder
The manas of an Arhat, because it has completely abandoned all worldly dharmas of the three realms, is completely unattached and uninterested, can only be extinguished at the end of its lifespan. The Arhat then enters Nirvana without remainder, leaving only the Tathagatagarbha. If an Arhat is to emerge from the state of Nirvana without remainder, there must be karmic seeds stored in the Tathagatagarbha that delight in the Mahayana Dharma. This is the driving force for the Tathagatagarbha to give birth to the five aggregates and worldly dharmas. This driving force is the source that propels the Tathagatagarbha to give birth to manas, and subsequently to give birth to the five aggregates and the world. This driving force is the karmic seeds stored in the Tathagatagarbha. Because manas has no intention or attachment to worldly dharmas, it must have intentions in other aspects to be reborn again and to propel the arising of the five aggregates and the dharmas of the three realms. Only the aspiration for the Mahayana Dharma and Buddhahood remains; apart from this, there are no other intentions or driving forces. The mind is like dead ashes, difficult to reignite.
When the karmic seeds ripen, the Tathagatagarbha, relying on the karmic seeds, can give birth to manas. After manas is born, corresponding to the karmic seeds and karmic force, manas gives rise to the manifestation of volition and the mental factor of deliberation for giving birth to worldly dharmas. The Tathagatagarbha cooperates with manas to give birth to the gandharva (intermediate state being), which then seeks parents for rebirth. Because the Tathagatagarbha contains seeds that delight in the Mahayana Dharma, manas desires to possess a material body. When the mental factor of deliberation of manas arises, the Tathagatagarbha cooperates, thus giving rise to the manifestation of the gandharva, and subsequently the birth of the five-aggregate body. After the five-aggregate body is born, one can encounter the Mahayana Dharma and thus logically study the Mahayana Dharma. Therefore, before Arhats enter Nirvana without remainder, the Buddha teaches them the Mahayana Dharma, planting the seeds for their future Buddhahood.
12. The manas of sentient beings inevitably corresponds to karmic seeds. In the hell realm, manas manifests the habits of hell beings. Among ghosts, sentient beings inevitably manifest the habits of ghosts. Among animals, sentient beings inevitably manifest the habits of animals. Among humans, they have human habits; as devas, they have deva habits; as asuras, they have asura habits. Then, Bodhisattvas have Bodhisattva habits. Bodhisattvas teach sentient beings over countless kalpas and inevitably have the habit of teaching sentient beings. This habit of Bodhisattvas is a good habit. Sentient beings corresponding to the habits of Bodhisattvas are Bodhisattvas.
If one lived in a certain realm for a long time in a past life, one has the habits of the beings of that realm. When reborn in other realms, manas correspondingly manifests the original habits. For example, the Buddha's great disciple, Gavampati, was a Fourth-Fruit Arhat. In his past life, he was a cow for five hundred lifetimes and had the habit of chewing cud. When he became a human and an Arhat, he still ate like a cow chewing grass. Some people have the habits of ghosts, having been ghosts for a long time in past lives. Some people have the combative habits of asuras, having been asuras for a long time in past lives; their hatred and habitual anger are very firm. Even when they become Bodhisattvas, they can still exhibit some of the angry habits of asuras.
13. If sentient beings are separated from karmic force, and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are separated from vow power, then there are no dharmas of the five-aggregate world at all. Both karmic force and vow power are related to manas. Separated from manas, there are also no dharmas of the world at all. The Tathagatagarbha alone accomplishes nothing and does not meddle; it is without desire or seeking, only fulfilling the wishes of sentient beings.
14. Any dharma that the Tathagatagarbha can manifest, manas, relying on the Tathagatagarbha, can see and discern; this is called the "silent accommodation" (mòróng) of manas. After manas discerns, if it grasps and then generates the mental factor of deliberation (cetana), the Tathagatagarbha, relying on this, again manifests the sense faculties, body, vessel world, or the six consciousnesses. All dharmas manifested by the Tathagatagarbha are ultimately propelled from behind by manas, including the propulsion of karmic seeds and karmic force. Manas corresponds to karmic seeds and karmic force; its mental actions accord with the karmic seeds. The karmic seeds were all commanded into creation by it. Therefore, ultimately, all dharmas are propelled by manas.
The material body is also mastered and controlled by manas; it depends on how much ability manas has to control it. The lifespan of the material body involves, on one hand, the issue of karmic seeds, and on the other hand, the issue of samadhi and merit (punya). When one has samadhi, the mental power of manas is very great, and the mental power of the conscious mind is also great; thus, one can change the body, mind, and world. Samadhi also has the merit of concentration; it can also change karmic seeds. With strong power of concentration, the ability of manas and the conscious mind to control the material body increases. Manas can control the material body at will; if it wants to die, it dies immediately; if it wants to live, it can live for several more decades, centuries, or millennia. Lifespan is decided by manas. Because the karmic seeds have changed, and merit has also been cultivated, then manas can decide matters of temporary life and death.
15. Generally, we are born with a certain amount of merit. The fate of wealth and honor is determined while in the mother's womb. After birth, we begin to enjoy blessings, or at a certain time, we begin to enjoy blessings. This is the merit brought over by the seventh consciousness, manas. The seeds are stored in the Tathagatagarbha, and manas corresponds to the seeds. The conscious mind is born in the present life; it does not come from past lives. In the womb and during youth, if it did not accumulate merit, then the conscious mind does not possess merit but can enjoy merit. Innate merit and wisdom are brought over by manas and enjoyed by the conscious mind. In the present life, the conscious mind, cooperating with manas, again cultivates merit and wisdom. When the karmic seeds ripen, the present-life conscious mind receives the good retribution of merit and wisdom. When the karmic seeds do not ripen, the conscious mind of future lives enjoys the fruit of merit and wisdom.
Similarly, the fate of innate lack of merit and wisdom is also brought over by manas. Manas corresponds to seeds of thin merit; the fate is poverty, lowliness, and deep suffering. The retribution is endured by the conscious mind. In this life, the conscious mind, again cooperating with manas, creates evil karma. When the karmic seeds ripen, the present-life conscious mind receives the evil retribution. When the karmic seeds do not ripen, the conscious mind of future lives receives the evil retribution.
16. People with supernatural powers can know things that will happen in future lives. Events that will occur in future lives certainly have karmic seeds that have not yet ripened. The Tathagatagarbha certainly can discern karmic seeds that have not yet ripened. The key is whether manas can also discern karmic seeds that have not yet ripened. If manas cannot discern ripened and unripened karmic seeds, then how does the conscious mind know about events that have not yet occurred in future lives and events that happened many kalpas ago? How does the conscious mind's power of remembering past lives (purvanivasanusmrti) manifest? All dharmas known by the conscious mind are first contacted, known, and perceived by manas. Only then can manas generate volition to allow the conscious mind to discern them subtly, and the conscious mind can then know the dharmas contacted and known by manas. The conscious mind's power of remembering past lives, as well as the conscious mind in dreams knowing events that will happen in the future, all come from manas; they are known through being guided by manas. Therefore, it is said that manas can contact and know events that have not yet happened and events of future lives. This is manas relying on the Tathagatagarbha's discernment of karmic seeds to make its own discernment.
There are many instances of the conscious mind knowing in advance what will happen. For example, before an earthquake, some animals know in advance and exhibit restlessness and anxiety after knowing. The earthquake has not yet happened; the karmic seeds have not yet ripened and manifested, or the karmic seeds have not yet fully manifested. How do the conscious minds of animals know that a disaster is about to happen and become panic-stricken? If manas does not follow the Tathagatagarbha to access karmic seeds, how can the conscious mind access karmic seeds? Before a person dies, or before an accident occurs, there are premonitions. The event has not happened; the karmic seeds have not manifested. Why can one have a premonition? If manas does not access karmic seeds, why does the conscious mind have a feeling? When dreaming, one dreams of events that will happen days or months later. Upon waking, one feels that something special is about to happen. If manas does not access karmic seeds, how can there be precognitive dreams? These future events are first perceived by manas, which then alerts the conscious mind to perceive them, in order to take countermeasures.
17. The number of the seven fundamental seeds is fixed and unchanging, although it is countless. The Tathagatagarbha uses this fixed number of seeds to transform and produce all dharmas. When dharmas cease, the seeds all return to the Tathagatagarbha, then are born again in other dharmas, transforming to produce other dharmas. Seeds, in terms of dharmas, are born and cease moment by moment; all dharmas are born and cease moment by moment, transforming and changing; they are not permanent and unchanging, therefore they are impermanent (anitya).
Manas corresponds to karmic seeds, but the wisdom of manas does not need to manifest into the seeds to retrieve it. Wisdom always corresponds to manas; that is to say, manas always has wisdom. For example, once we learn to cook, anytime in this life when we encounter the condition for cooking, we can cook. This skill is always carried by manas. The dharmas that manas has been influenced by always exist in the mind; manas always understands them. Thus, its wisdom is always carried; it does not need to specifically retrieve seeds from the Tathagatagarbha, but it always corresponds to the seeds.
18. Karmic force, as the name implies, is the force of karmic actions. This force is very great; most sentient beings find it difficult to resist. They can only drift along with the karmic force, finding it hard to extricate themselves. This force is the force of manas. Manas represents karma; manas has power because it is the master consciousness; it can do as it pleases, and often the conscious mind cannot withstand it. Behind it, there is also the Tathagatagarbha, which invariably complies with manas and releases karmic force seeds. Thus, sentient beings can only struggle bitterly within the karmic force, sinking and surfacing in the ocean of birth and death. This relies on the conscious mind cultivating wholesome dharmas, continuously accumulating strength to induce and counteract the karmic force of manas. One can only gradually reverse the karmic force, making evil retribution gradually lighter and good retribution gradually stronger.
All dharmas manifest in the mind invariably relying on karmic force. Even when sentient beings contact the same outer six dusts (objects), because karmic force differs, the inner six dusts transmitted by their respective Tathagatagarbhas into the subtle sense faculties also differ. Each sentient being is affected differently; their perception and feeling of the same state are different. The most famous example is that devas, humans, and hungry ghosts see the same river; the outer appearance (nimitta) is the same, but the inner appearance (pratibimba) they see is different, and their experience is different.
