The Meaning of Not Being Oblivious to Cause and Effect

"Mei" (obscuration) means dim, vague, and dark. Not being obscured means the mind is clear and lucid, without confusion about cause and effect. The bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are all very clear about cause and effect, because they possess the seed-wisdom (bīja-jñāna) of Consciousness-Only, clearly knowing that at the very moment each karmic action is performed, its seeds are stored into the tathāgatagarbha, and when the conditions ripen, there will surely be karmic retribution. Bodhisattvas without the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-Only, and ordinary bodhisattvas, are not very clear about this matter, so sometimes they still harbor a fluke mentality and commit some unwholesome karma. Since the bodhisattvas have not exhausted their ignorance, their bodily, verbal, and mental actions remain within cause and effect and cannot escape the law of cause and effect.