How Does Tathāgatagarbha Record and Store Karmic Seeds?

Then it depends on what the tathāgatagarbha does amid the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of these six consciousnesses. The tathāgatagarbha possesses the seeds of the seven great elements, one of which is the seed of consciousness. The tathāgatagarbha has the seeds of consciousness, and these seeds of consciousness divide into the seeds of consciousness of the seven consciousnesses. He can simultaneously and separately deliver to each of these seven consciousnesses its own seeds of consciousness; once delivered, these seven consciousnesses become manifest and can operate. The operation of the seven consciousnesses relies on the five universal mental factors and the five particular mental factors, as well as the operation of afflictive mental factors such as greed, hatred, and delusion. For example, when the six consciousnesses are operating, they not only have the five universal mental factors; at times they also have the five particular mental factors; and there are also the eleven wholesome mental factors—although sometimes the eleven wholesome mental factors do not manifest in full; and there are also afflictive mental factors such as greed, hatred, and delusion, all of which will manifest.

The seventh consciousness, the manas, is the same: apart from the five universal mental factors, He also has other afflictive mental factors, such as greed, hatred, delusion, conceit, and doubt. Once the seven consciousnesses operate, the corresponding mental factors will manifest; the consciousness-mind operates in the form of mental factors. And mental factors can be pure, defiled, or neither pure nor defiled, and at times all of them must manifest. Once the seeds of consciousness arise, the seven consciousnesses can operate, and they arise and cease in every instant. When they arise, they arise from within the tathāgatagarbha; when the seeds of consciousness cease, where do they cease to? If these seeds, upon ceasing, simply vanished naturally, then how many seeds of consciousness would remain in the tathāgatagarbha to keep arising without being exhausted and lost? Those seeds of consciousness arise and then cease, arise and then cease—does that mean the tathāgatagarbha must continuously produce seeds of consciousness? It is not like that; there is no longer any dharma that produces seeds of consciousness.