The Arising, Abiding, Changing, and Ceasing of All Dharmas Are Governed by Karmic Seeds

Throughout the immeasurable kalpas of birth and death in the cycle of rebirth, who is the dominant force for sentient beings? Some say it is the Tathāgatagarbha, while others say it is the manas (the mental faculty). Both views can be considered correct. The Tathāgatagarbha is the passive dominant force, for it has no intention to dominate anything. It does not actively decide that sentient beings undergo birth and death over immeasurable kalpas. Yet, ultimately, it is the Tathāgatagarbha that manifests all dharmas and the cycle of birth and death, so it can also be considered the master of sentient beings' cycle of birth and death. The manas, however, possesses the volition to dominate; it is the active deciding factor in the sentient beings' cycle of birth and death. Its mind and karmic force dominate all dharmas and the cycle of birth and death.

In my view, the cycle of birth and death for sentient beings is dominated and decided by karmic seeds. For karmic seeds to be the deciding factor means that the Tathāgatagarbha is the deciding factor. It is the Tathāgatagarbha that stores and releases karmic seeds, realizing the causes, conditions, and karmic retribution for sentient beings according to these seeds. Therefore, karmic seeds being the deciding factor is essentially the Tathāgatagarbha being the deciding factor, and vice versa. Although karmic seeds lack agency and are not the true agent, they actually play the leading role.

Karmic seeds being the deciding factor is also the manas being the deciding factor. The manas corresponds to the karmic seeds. As the karma is, so is the manas; as the manas is, so is the karma. The two are mutually matched and consistent. Although there are many karmic seeds that the manas dislikes, they are ultimately created by the volition of the manas itself. There are many things the manas wishes to decide, but it still requires corresponding karmic seeds and karmic conditions. Without the corresponding karmic seeds, the manas cannot decide; it can only drift along with the karmic seeds. Therefore, karmic seeds being the deciding factor is the manas being the deciding factor, and the manas being the deciding factor is karmic seeds being the deciding factor. Karmic seeds unify the Tathāgatagarbha and the manas: both are, and yet are not, the deciding factor. The Tathāgatagarbha, following the karmic seeds, gives rise to all dharmas; it is the passive deciding factor. Although the manas is the active deciding factor, it also conforms to and accords with the karmic seeds. Thus, all dharmas are still ultimately decided by the karmic seeds.

Although it is the karmic seeds that decide, if the volitional power (pranidhāna) of the manas is extremely strong, it can transcend the karmic seeds and become the deciding factor, causing all dharmas to manifest according to this volitional power. For instance, after an Arhat attains the four dhyānas, whereas previously he would have died a normal death at the end of his lifespan, now he can either depart earlier or postpone his death. The length of his life is decided by the Arhat himself. At this point, it is the manas that decides, or rather the volitional power of the manas that decides. But upon careful analysis, it is still the karmic seeds that decide, because upon attaining the four dhyānas, the karmic seeds change. When the karmic seeds change, the karmic retribution changes, and birth and death become self-determined. It merely appears as if the manas can decide.

In reality, the manas corresponds to the karmic seeds at every moment, in every life. All dharmas are still decided by the karmic seeds, which determine their birth, abiding, change, and cessation. The cycle of rebirth through the six realms for sentient beings is originally determined by karmic seeds. If, through cultivation, one generates a great pure vow, the karmic seeds change, and the karmic retribution will change accordingly. Superficially, it may seem as if the manas decides, as if the manas wishes for something and it then happens. But ultimately, it is still the karmic seeds that decide and play the determining role.

For example, a person in a vegetative state lies in bed for decades, unable to move their body. In our view, their manas should have long chosen to leave that unusable body. However, because they still possess a small amount of human fortune (merit), the karmic reward for being human has not yet been exhausted, and the karmic seeds for a human existence have not vanished, they continue to live as a vegetative being. They must exhaust this small fortune, lacking the wisdom to make longer-term plans, such as preserving fortune for future lives to live more comfortably. If the karmic seeds for this fortune were exhausted, the manas would immediately decide to leave, or even if it didn't decide, it would be passively compelled to leave because it could no longer sustain life, lacking the fortune and karmic seeds to support continued existence.

Another example: in the past, some people, after attaining the fruit [of enlightenment], chose not to live any longer and committed suicide to leave the human realm early, ensuring rebirth in a heavenly realm to continue their practice. In such a case, one could say it was the manas deciding. However, it was because they had eradicated the view of self (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) and possessed corresponding wholesome karmic seeds that supported their ability to renounce the human realm and proceed to a heavenly realm for cultivation. Supported by merit and wholesome karma, they could enjoy the wholesome retribution of eradicating self-view and their merit ahead of time. Their manas wished to commit suicide and succeeded. If they had not eradicated the view of self and the karmic seeds remained unchanged, even if suicide succeeded, after death they would not be reborn in a heavenly realm nor enter Nirvana without residue (nirupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). They would inevitably follow their original unwholesome and negative karma to be reborn, perhaps in the three lower realms (apāya) to suffer. Therefore, all dharmas are still decided by the karmic seeds.

Karmic seeds reside within the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha cognizes the karmic seeds and, based on them, creates all dharmas to manifest the causes, conditions, and karmic retribution for sentient beings. Thus, all dharmas are still decided by the Tathāgatagarbha. Superficially, the manas seems to decide, but it cannot necessarily truly dominate, because it is constrained by the karmic seeds and is incapable of being the true master. From this, it is evident that all dharmas are within the realm of cause and effect, never beyond it. There are no dharmas that contravene cause and effect.