The Function of the Seeds of the Seven Great Elements

The seven intrinsically existing great seeds: the great seeds of earth, water, fire, wind, space, seeing, and consciousness. The first five great seeds—earth, water, fire, wind, and space—are used to constitute material form, while the great seeds of seeing and consciousness are used to constitute mind. The great seed of consciousness constitutes the mind-dharma of the seven consciousnesses, and the great seed of seeing forms the tathāgatagarbha's function of seeing all dharmas. In this way, all dharmas of the entire five-aggregate world are complete. Material form and mind encompass all dharmas, and the tathāgatagarbha uses the great seed of seeing to bring all dharmas together under its integration, forming a complete and systematic worldly dharma.