The Meaning of the Retributive Consciousness (Vipāka-vijñāna), Retributive Habitual Tendencies, Homogeneous Outflow Habitual Tendencies (Niṣyanda-vāsanā), and the Pure Undefiled Consciousness (Amala-vijñāna)

The vipākavijñāna (retributive consciousness) is another name for the tathāgatagarbha, representing the true mind of bodhisattvas at the eighth bhūmi and above. The vipākavijñāna indicates that the karmic seeds within the mind-substance can still cause the bodhisattva to have subtle birth-and-death transmigration, still have transformation and change, so that he cannot become a Buddha, nor attain final nirvāṇa. This subtle birth-and-death is distinct from the coarse segmented birth-and-death. The ālayavijñāna stores the seeds of segmented birth-and-death of beings prior to the eighth bhūmi, meaning that beings at this stage have defiled karma of segmented birth-and-death within their seven consciousnesses and five aggregates. The vipākavijñāna stores the seeds of transformational birth-and-death of beings from the eighth bhūmi onward, indicating that bodhisattvas at the eighth bhūmi and above still have subtle seeds of birth-and-death that need to be eliminated; only when these are completely eradicated can they become Buddhas, at which point the vipākavijñāna is renamed the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna).

Vipāka habit-energy is also called the habit-energy of birth-and-death transmigration, the habit-energy of ignorance, and the habit-energy of afflictions. These habit-energies are extremely subtle; generally they refer to the habit-energies of ignorance of bodhisattvas after the eighth bhūmi, and can also be said to be the habit-energies of afflictions of bodhisattvas from the first bhūmi onward. Where there is habit-energy, there is birth-and-death; only when habit-energy is completely severed can one become a Buddha.

The "equal" (niṣyanda) in niṣyanda habit-energy means equal or identical; "flow" (niṣyanda) means flowing transmigration, indicating the habit-energy of the same consciousness continuously flowing and transmigrating, or the habit-energy of the same sentient being continuously remaining unchanged.

The pure white consciousness (śuddha-vijñāna) refers to another name for the eighth consciousness during the bodhisattva stages of the eighth bhūmi and above. The karmic seeds contained and stored within the mind-substance of the eighth consciousness are pure and white; most of them are seeds of white, wholesome karma, while seeds of black, unwholesome karma have almost entirely vanished and can no longer manifest. At this time, the eighth consciousness may be called the ādānavijñāna.