What Are the Functions and Roles of the Cetanā Mental Factor in Tathāgatagarbha?

The function of the mental factor of volition (cetanā) is primarily to deliberate, make decisions and determinations, and then initiate actual actions. All eight consciousnesses possess the mental factor of volition and have the capacity for decision-making; all can make determinations, differing only in the content of their decisions and the scope of their authority. On what basis do the eight consciousnesses make their decisions? Before making any decision, each of the eight consciousnesses engages in its own distinct mental activities. Without any mental activity, no decision can be made. The five universal mental factors (pañca-sarvatraga) are mental activities possessed by all eight consciousnesses: attention (manasikāra) to the perceived aspect (nimitta), contact (sparśa), sensation (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), and volition (cetanā). When these mental activities reach their conclusion, they give rise to a decisive resolution regarding the discerned dharmas, preparing for subsequent karmic formation and action.

For example, regarding the creative function of the Tathāgatagarbha's volition: when the Tathāgatagarbha creates a part of the auditory faculty (śrotrendriya), it must constantly decide in the next instant how to create the remaining parts. How to create it, where to create it, what form it should take, what color and shape it should have—the Tathāgatagarbha continuously makes these decisions. These decisions are made while the Tathāgatagarbha discerns the karmic seeds (bīja) and the state of the auditory faculty. During its discernment process, mental activities occur—attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition—directed toward the karmic seeds, as well as toward the already transformed parts of the auditory faculty. Then, in the corresponding locations, it outputs the four great elements (mahābhūta—earth, water, fire, wind) seeds aligned with the karmic seeds, and thus the ear gradually forms and becomes complete.

Another example: when an overweight person wishes to lose weight, the Tathāgatagarbha must comply with the mental faculty (manas). Based on karmic seeds and current karmic conditions, it decides to output the four great element seeds, absorbing the subtle particles of the four elements from the physical body, continuously altering the proportional structure and arrangement of these elemental seeds. Simultaneously, it coordinates with the seven consciousnesses to engage in physical exercise and adjust dietary habits. Ultimately, the body undergoes change. Of course, the Tathāgatagarbha has no concept of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) or material forms (rūpa), nor does it specifically discern the characteristics of material forms. It only discerns karmic seeds and the volition of the mental faculty (manas). Then, based on the four great elements assimilated by the physical body and the karmic conditions, it may allow the physical body to gradually become thinner. If the karmic seeds do not permit it or the karmic conditions are insufficient, losing weight becomes very difficult.

For the operation of all dharmas, the Tathāgatagarbha must have the volition to make decisions. Before making a decision, it necessarily engages in mental activities: attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition—though ordinary people are generally unable to perceive this. The seventh consciousness (manas) only knows the decision to make the body thinner; the sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna) only knows the intention to transform the body into a certain appearance. How exactly the change occurs is unknown to the mental faculty (manas), as the alteration of the physical body is not actually accomplished by it. Even though the mental faculty believes it is all its own doing, in reality it is not. When the sixth consciousness lacks sufficient wisdom in observation, it too does not know precisely how the body becomes thinner. After the Tathāgatagarbha assists the physical body in losing weight, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses feel as if they themselves have become thinner, as if they had paid some price. In truth, the mental faculty merely made a decision; all the rest was accomplished by the Tathāgatagarbha.

The Tathāgatagarbha's discernment of the mental activities of the mental faculty is like a robot receiving instructions from someone else, like a computer reading data, or like a computer recognizing human hand operations. The Tathāgatagarbha's discernment of karmic seeds is like a computer reading a program. The Tathāgatagarbha's output and realization of karmic seeds is like a computer executing a program. Therefore, although the Tathāgatagarbha brings forth all dharmas, it is as if it has done nothing at all. Its discernment is not at all a discernment of the specific appearances of people, things, or events; rather, it is an abstract discernment, like discerning symbols. It is like a musician reading musical notation and then composing a score.