How Tathagatagarbha Records Karmic Actions and Manifests Karmic Seeds (Part VII)

For instance, when I am conversing with someone, whether the mental activities of my mental faculty (Manas) are pure or defiled will all be stored as seeds in the Tathagatagarbha. All the content discerned by my first six consciousnesses, all actions, all mental activities—whether accompanied by greed, hatred, or the neutral state of being neither good nor evil—will be stored as seeds in the Tathagatagarbha. Because the seeds of consciousness return to the Tathagatagarbha moment by moment, the discerned content and all mental activities are also entirely stored within it.

After the conversation with this person concludes, the entire event and the whole process are stored without omission, ultimately forming a comprehensive record. The specific manifestations of mental activities during my conversation with this person—including the time, location, psychological states, facial expressions, language used, and so forth—are all stored in detail by the Tathagatagarbha. Every minute detail of the process is fully recorded, and once stored, it becomes a karmic seed. When it matures, there will be karmic retribution. The more deeply it is stored—meaning the more attentively the six consciousnesses function, the more intensely the seventh consciousness (Manas) engages, whether with greater interest or stronger aversion—the clearer and more distinct the stored karmic actions become, making the karmic fruit more likely to ripen.

When the karmic conditions mature, the Tathagatagarbha releases this karmic seed. Upon encountering this person again, due to our prior relationship, my demeanor during the meeting will differ, as I will manifest the mental tendencies from before. The karmic seed then becomes active. Once manifested, the expressions through body, speech, and mind change accordingly. If the original mental state was aversion, the release of this karmic seed will cause me to feel dislike upon seeing this person. If the original state was fondness, the release of the karmic seed will cause my mind to carry a sense of affection, leading me to like this person, and the mental tendencies will be fully expressed. My physical, verbal, and mental actions when meeting this person are thus connected to the previously stored karmic seeds and the mental activities of the Manas. The Tathagatagarbha releases these karmic seeds, with the Manas playing a crucial role in the process.