What is Retaining Afflictions to Nourish Sentient Beings?

"Retaining Afflictions to Nourish Rebirth" means preserving a portion of cognitive afflictions and vexations without severing them entirely, in order to nourish rebirth in future lives. If all afflictions are completely severed, and the mental faculty no longer clings to any phenomena within the Three Realms, then at life's end, one can extinguish the five aggregates and enter complete nirvana without residue, just like a fourth-stage Arhat. After realizing the true mind, a Bodhisattva must retain a portion of cognitive afflictions without completely severing them until reaching the eighth ground. Because with these remaining afflictions, the Bodhisattva can be reborn life after life, possessing the five aggregates, thereby continuing to cultivate the Buddha Dharma for self-benefit and the benefit of others. If, after realizing the true mind, a Bodhisattva severs all cognitive afflictions and vexations completely, they would, like an Arhat, extinguish the five aggregates upon the exhaustion of lifespan and enter complete nirvana without residue. In that case, there would be no Bodhisattva, and they could no longer continue cultivating the Buddha Dharma. When cultivating to the seventh ground, a Bodhisattva, having severed all cognitive afflictions and possessing extremely profound meditative attainment, can enter the cessation and contemplation samādhi at any time and place. Consequently, there is a risk of inadvertently entering nirvana. Therefore, the Buddha constantly watches over the Bodhisattva to ensure they do not enter nirvana, thus enabling them to smoothly advance to the eighth ground for cultivation. Without the support of pure and vast vows, Bodhisattvas on the noble grounds can easily enter complete nirvana without residue. This is because their meditative attainment grows increasingly profound, and their interest in worldly phenomena of the Three Realms diminishes progressively. By the seventh ground, the thought of entering nirvana arises continuously in every moment. Therefore, the Buddha instructs Bodhisattvas, upon entering the first ground, to generate the ten infinite vows from the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. These vows remain inexhaustible until the attainment of Buddhahood. Due to the power of these vows, Bodhisattvas are reborn life after life without entering extinction. With the manifestation of the five aggregates, they can extensively deliver countless sentient beings, ultimately achieving the fruit of Buddhahood.