Why Do Wishes Come True?

The realization of one's wishes ("whatever the mind contemplates comes to pass") is accomplished by the tathāgatagarbha impelled by the manas; it is the fulfillment of the manas's wishes. Within this there is the mind consciousness's thinking, and there is also the manas's thinking. The mind consciousness's thinking must pass through the manas's determination (adhimokṣa) and review; once the manas agrees, the manas comes to have the same thought, and then the tathāgatagarbha cooperates with this thought, bringing to fruition what the manas has contemplated. If the mind consciousness's thinking is not endorsed by the manas—if the manas does not wish for it—then it is thinking in vain, a useless effort. As for the manas's thinking on its own, the mind consciousness may not be aware of it, yet it can still come to fruition; when it does, the mind consciousness may still not know that it was thought into being—this is the mind consciousness's ignorance.