What Does "Following Karma to Manifest Phenomena" Mean

The concept of "manifestation according to karma" in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra explains that sentient beings encounter specific aspects of the Dharma based on their own karma and karmic conditions; without the corresponding karmic conditions, they cannot access it. For instance, take a gold mine: some people may obtain gold by mining it, while others may not. Consider water: some who need water may die of thirst without finding it, while others may drown from encountering too much. Similarly, with hell: some can perceive and enter hell, while others cannot perceive it nor go there. The same applies to celestial realms, including the Pure Land. Every environment in which sentient beings dwell manifests according to karma—nothing appears without its corresponding karma.

All phenomena manifest in the mind based entirely on karma. Even when sentient beings encounter the same external six dusts (objects of sense), their respective ālayavijñāna (storehouse consciousness) transmits distinct internal six dusts to the indriya (faculty of superior truth) due to differing karma. Consequently, each being is affected differently and perceives the same realm with distinct sensations. The most renowned example is that of devas, humans, and hungry ghosts seeing the same river: while the external appearance is identical, the internal appearances they perceive differ, resulting in disparate experiences.