The Relationship Between Tathāgatagarbha and Memory (Part 2)

Yet sometimes we are still able to perceive certain information from past lives. How is this perceived? This relies on the Tathagatagarbha. When the karmic seeds within the Tathagatagarbha have ripened and the conditions for manifestation are fully present, the karmic seeds must manifest. Regardless of whether the manas grasps at them or not, the karmic seeds manifest as objects of mental cognition (dharmas). When the manas comes into contact with them, the mental consciousness gains a certain perceptual capacity. Moreover, the content we cultivated in past lives can also be grasped by the manas, enabling the mental consciousness to perceive and discern it. Consequently, when the mental consciousness encounters similar content again, it can quickly comprehend and remember it with no effort at all, like traveling a familiar road.

When we encounter in this life dharmas that were cultivated in past lives, we resonate with them very quickly. For example, if we frequently recited the Shurangama Sutra in a past life, the karmic seed of reciting the Shurangama Sutra is stored in the Tathagatagarbha. In this life, as soon as we encounter the Shurangama Sutra, reciting it feels very familiar and proceeds very smoothly. As we recite, we can soon memorize it. This indicates that we did not just begin reciting the Shurangama Sutra in this life; rather, we had already cultivated it in past lives. With the karmic seed of reciting the Shurangama Sutra from past lives, when the conditions ripen and the manas grasps it, the mental consciousness consequently experiences its benefit. Learning the Shurangama Sutra becomes extremely rapid: recitation is fast, retention is firm, and naturally, one can memorize it. The sentences and meanings feel very familiar. Thus, in this life, Buddhist study and practice connect with the karmic seeds from past lives.

In this life, when we recite the Heart Sutra until we can memorize it, this seed is also stored in the Tathagatagarbha. After memorizing it, when we recite the Heart Sutra again: "Avalokiteshvara—Bodhisattva—, practicing—deep—Prajnaparamita—," character by character, syllable by syllable, these objects of mental cognition (dharmas) are retrieved from the storehouse of the Tathagatagarbha. They pass through the manas, and the mental consciousness experiences them. This is how it is said that the mental consciousness gains the ability to remember and can recite the Heart Sutra. What the mental consciousness learns and memorizes cannot be stored by itself, because it is intrinsically subject to arising and cessation and lacks the function to store karmic seeds. Even if it could store them, when the mental consciousness ceases, they would still be lost, as the mental consciousness is not autonomous and lacks the capacity for preservation. Therefore, only the Tathagatagarbha can store them, because it never disappears. Stored there, they are extremely safe and reliable; there is no worry that the Tathagatagarbha will cease and cause the seeds to be lost.

When the mental consciousness needs the seeds stored in the Tathagatagarbha, it must retrieve them. At this point, it must rely on the manas. When the mental consciousness desires to recite the Heart Sutra, this desire is communicated to the manas. After the manas recognizes it and also decides to recite the Heart Sutra, the mental factor of intention (cetana) arises. The Tathagatagarbha discerns the mental factor of intention from the manas and can then transmit the seed for reciting the Heart Sutra. The mental consciousness discerns the objects of mental cognition (dharmas) and naturally recites the Heart Sutra, with each character and syllable emerging.

If the Heart Sutra is not recited proficiently and cannot be memorized, the seed for recitation does not exist. When attempting to recite, those characters and syllables cannot emerge. Perhaps the first character, second character, third character, fourth character can be recited, but beyond that, they cannot emerge. Because we did not store them, the storehouse of the Tathagatagarbha lacks that karmic seed capable of recitation, and the Tathagatagarbha cannot manufacture seeds by itself. If the storehouse lacks the goods, naturally they cannot be retrieved for use. Then one has no choice but to open the book and read from it. 

Yet sometimes we are still able to perceive certain information from past lives. How is this perceived? This relies on the Tathagatagarbha. When the karmic seeds within the Tathagatagarbha have ripened and the conditions for manifestation are fully present, the karmic seeds must manifest. Regardless of whether the manas grasps at them or not, the karmic seeds manifest as objects of mental cognition (dharmas). When the manas comes into contact with them, the mental consciousness gains a certain perceptual capacity. Moreover, the content we cultivated in past lives can also be grasped by the manas, enabling the mental consciousness to perceive and discern it. Consequently, when the mental consciousness encounters similar content again, it can quickly comprehend and remember it with no effort at all, like traveling a familiar road.

When we encounter in this life dharmas that were cultivated in past lives, we resonate with them very quickly. For example, if we frequently recited the Shurangama Sutra in a past life, the karmic seed of reciting the Shurangama Sutra is stored in the Tathagatagarbha. In this life, as soon as we encounter the Shurangama Sutra, reciting it feels very familiar and proceeds very smoothly. As we recite, we can soon memorize it. This indicates that we did not just begin reciting the Shurangama Sutra in this life; rather, we had already cultivated it in past lives. With the karmic seed of reciting the Shurangama Sutra from past lives, when the conditions ripen and the manas grasps it, the mental consciousness consequently experiences its benefit. Learning the Shurangama Sutra becomes extremely rapid: recitation is fast, retention is firm, and naturally, one can memorize it. The sentences and meanings feel very familiar. Thus, in this life, Buddhist study and practice connect with the karmic seeds from past lives.

In this life, when we recite the Heart Sutra until we can memorize it, this seed is also stored in the Tathagatagarbha. After memorizing it, when we recite the Heart Sutra again: "Avalokiteshvara—Bodhisattva—, practicing—deep—Prajnaparamita—," character by character, syllable by syllable, these objects of mental cognition (dharmas) are retrieved from the storehouse of the Tathagatagarbha. They pass through the manas, and the mental consciousness experiences them. This is how it is said that the mental consciousness gains the ability to remember and can recite the Heart Sutra. What the mental consciousness learns and memorizes cannot be stored by itself, because it is intrinsically subject to arising and cessation and lacks the function to store karmic seeds. Even if it could store them, when the mental consciousness ceases, they would still be lost, as the mental consciousness is not autonomous and lacks the capacity for preservation. Therefore, only the Tathagatagarbha can store them, because it never disappears. Stored there, they are extremely safe and reliable; there is no worry that the Tathagatagarbha will cease and cause the seeds to be lost.

When the mental consciousness needs the seeds stored in the Tathagatagarbha, it must retrieve them. At this point, it must rely on the manas. When the mental consciousness desires to recite the Heart Sutra, this desire is communicated to the manas. After the manas recognizes it and also decides to recite the Heart Sutra, the mental factor of intention (cetana) arises. The Tathagatagarbha discerns the mental factor of intention from the manas and can then transmit the seed for reciting the Heart Sutra. The mental consciousness discerns the objects of mental cognition (dharmas) and naturally recites the Heart Sutra, with each character and syllable emerging.

If the Heart Sutra is not recited proficiently and cannot be memorized, the seed for recitation does not exist. When attempting to recite, those characters and syllables cannot emerge. Perhaps the first character, second character, third character, fourth character can be recited, but beyond that, they cannot emerge. Because we did not store them, the storehouse of the Tathagatagarbha lacks that karmic seed capable of recitation, and the Tathagatagarbha cannot manufacture seeds by itself. If the storehouse lacks the goods, naturally they cannot be retrieved for use. Then one has no choice but to open the book and read from it.