Human Thoughts and the External Environment Can Influence Each Other

On plants, the tathāgatagarbhas of sentient beings sharing collective karma operate together, and the seeds of the four great elements change moment by moment, so plants also undergo changes moment by moment. The particles of the four great elements in plants also radiate outward moment by moment; therefore, plants have a certain influence on their surrounding environment and on people. The material form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma sense-objects they emit can affect human health and emotions, so a plant can be called a small magnetic field. It is also a normal phenomenon that human thought can influence and change plants; the fact that the human mind can change the material environment is precisely the functional operation of the three transformative consciousnesses. If the mental activity of the manas is strong, then in accordance with karmic conditions, the tathāgatagarbha can not only influence the growth of plants but also change their nature and properties. The power of the manas's mindfulness can not only influence the psychology of sentient beings and influence plants, but can also influence all material form. For example, when a qigong master gives rise to a thought, he can change the shape and position of objects and heal illnesses from a distance. Also, when the manas recites mantras or plants an effigy substitute, it can change another person's physical body; both health and death can be manipulated in the hands of a person whose manas possesses meditative concentration (samādhi).