The Relationship between Karmic Seeds and Mental Factors (caitasika-dharma)

The tathāgatagarbha knows the mental activities of sentient beings, but in fact it only knows the mental activities of the manas. Only when the manas' mental activities arise can the tathāgatagarbha know them, and then produce the seeds of the first six consciousnesses for it. All dharmas are brought about under the manas' direction and decision; if the manas does not choose to act, the six consciousnesses do not arise. Therefore the tathāgatagarbha must necessarily cooperate with the manas, and must necessarily know the manas' mental activities, before it can produce the six consciousnesses to complete the manas' mental activities. In the operation of all dharmas, the tathāgatagarbha mainly interacts with the manas, while also according with karmic seeds. When karmic seeds mature, regardless of whether the manas needs them, likes them, or rejects them, the tathāgatagarbha must manifest those karmic conditions.

Karmic seeds are the records of the operation of mental factors (caittas); bodily, verbal, and mental actions are mental factors, and all actions are mental factors. When the mental factors are pure, actions are pure, and karmic seeds are pure. When the mental factors change, the karmic seeds change. Body and mind correspond: for example, when the mental factor of anger arises, the body undergoes changes; when the mental factors of tranquility and meditative concentration (samādhi) arise, the body undergoes changes. Who is it that changes the mental factors? It is the mental factors that change the mental factors themselves—the self changes itself; it is not the Buddha changing oneself, nor the tathāgatagarbha changing oneself. Therefore, cultivation is in any case something one cultivates oneself; do not expect anyone to substitute for you, thinking that with a little blessing you will ascend to heaven in one step—it is not like that.