What is Bīja?

Seeds, as the name implies, imply the potential for bearing fruit, signifying the capacity to generate. For example, plant seeds can give rise to plants; similarly, the seeds of all dharmas can give birth to all dharmas. Seeds include the seven fundamental seeds and the seeds of karma. When the karmic seeds ripen, the seven fundamental seeds can generate all dharmas for sentient beings. If sentient beings are devoid of karmic seeds, the seven fundamental seeds become useless. When the karmic seeds of sentient beings ripen, the Tathagatagarbha uses the seven fundamental seeds to create the karmic retribution for sentient beings.

Karma, as the name implies, is the force generated by actions. This force is immensely powerful; most sentient beings find it difficult to resist and can only drift along with the current of karma, unable to extricate themselves. This force is the power of manas (the mind root). Manas represents karma; it possesses power because, as the sovereign consciousness, it can act as it wishes, often overpowering the conscious mind. Furthermore, the Tathagatagarbha unconditionally complies with manas, releasing the seeds of karma. Consequently, sentient beings can only struggle bitterly within the force of karma, rising and sinking in the ocean of birth and death. Therefore, it relies on the conscious mind to cultivate wholesome dharmas, continuously accumulating strength to guide and counteract the karmic force of manas. Only gradually can the force of karma be reversed, with unwholesome retribution diminishing and wholesome retribution gradually increasing.