Lectures on the Sutra of the Father-Son Compendium (79)

The Tathagatagarbha Knows All Karmic Actions Created by the Five Aggregates and Seven Consciousnesses

When foolish sentient beings see forms with their eyes, they immediately generate a mind of delight and attachment. As greed arises, their minds become bound, adhered to, and fettered by these forms. The external six dusts (objects of the senses) bind us precisely by binding the mind. When the mind is bound by an invisible rope of greed, it begins to create karmic actions of craving. Karmic actions are divided into bodily, verbal, and mental actions. Bodily actions include killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct. Verbal actions manifest as the four types of unwholesome speech: false speech, frivolous speech, divisive speech, and harsh speech. Mental actions consist of greed, hatred, and delusion. Thus, ten types of karmic actions emerge. Once these three types of actions—bodily, verbal, and mental—are created, they are stored as seeds within the Tathagatagarbha. When conditions ripen, these seeds manifest, and sentient beings receive their karmic retribution.

In truth, when receiving karmic retribution, one is punishing oneself. Whom do sentient beings fear most when creating karma? It matters not if ghosts, spirits, or Dharma-protecting deities know; it matters not even if Buddhas or Bodhisattvas know. What they truly fear is the Tathagatagarbha knowing. But how could the Tathagatagarbha not know? When the five aggregates and seven consciousnesses create karmic actions, they rely entirely on the cooperation of the Tathagatagarbha. Without it, no action could be created at all. Therefore, the Tathagatagarbha knows all actions performed by the five aggregates and simultaneously stores the karmic seeds. Understanding this principle, we must be vigilant about our bodily, verbal, and mental actions, cease creating unwholesome karma, cultivate wholesome karma diligently, and strive to abandon evil while practicing goodness.