Why Do Most People Have No Memories Before the Age of 2-3?

Question: Since the Tathāgatagarbha records the karmic actions of sentient beings, and all memories are recorded by the Tathāgatagarbha, why do most people have no memory before the age of 2-3, or lack impressions of events from early childhood?

Answer: Because when children are young, the functions of their consciousness are not yet fully developed. Events from early childhood are thus not easily remembered. Only after growing up, when the functions of consciousness become stronger and they gain certain life experiences, does their memory become robust. At too young an age, the brain's superior truth root is not yet fully developed, and the conscious functions that operate dependent on the superior truth root are weak. For example, in the mother's womb, a fetus also possesses consciousness and may remember some things, but upon leaving the womb, it knows nothing. Before the age of one or two, or even three to five years old, most experiences cannot be remembered. At that time, the brain is still insufficiently developed, and the memory and recall functions of consciousness are not yet strong enough.

Some people have brain disorders or suffer from insufficient brain nutrition; they forget what they just did soon after completing it. Malnourishment of the brain can lead to poor memory. Therefore, the memory-recall function of the conscious mind also utilizes substances within the brain. If the brain is underdeveloped, memory will be poor, as the functions of consciousness are dependent on the brain.