The Principle of Recollection of Past Lives (pūrvanivāsānusmṛti)

Those with supernatural powers can know matters of future lives, and the karmic seeds of matters in future lives certainly have not yet matured. The tathāgatagarbha can certainly discern karmic seeds that have not yet matured; can the manas likewise discern karmic seeds that have not yet matured? If the manas cannot discern mature and immature karmic seeds, then how does the mind consciousness know matters of future lives and matters that have not yet occurred? How does the mind consciousness's recollection of past lives (pūrvanivāsānusmṛti) manifest? All dharmas that the mind consciousness knows are first contacted, first known, and first perceived by the manas; only then does the manas direct attention (manaskāra) so that the mind consciousness makes subtle discernments, and only then can the mind consciousness know the dharmas that the manas has contacted and known. The mind consciousness's recollection of past lives, as well as the mind consciousness's knowing in dreams of things that will happen afterward, all come from the manas, being known through the manas's drawing and leading. Therefore it is said that the manas can contact and know matters that have not yet occurred and matters of future lives, and this relies on the eighth consciousness's discernment of karmic seeds to make its own discernment.

There are many examples of the mind consciousness knowing in advance things that are about to happen. For instance, before an earthquake is about to occur, some animals know it in advance, and after knowing it they display restlessness and agitation. The earthquake has not yet occurred, and the karmic seeds have not matured and manifested—how do the animals know that a disaster is about to happen and become panic-stricken? If the manas does not follow the tathāgatagarbha to condition upon karmic seeds, how could the mind consciousness condition upon karmic seeds? Before a person is about to die, or just before an accident is about to happen, there are premonitions. The event has not happened, and the karmic seeds have not manifested—why can there be a premonition? If the manas does not condition upon karmic seeds, why does the mind consciousness have a feeling? When dreaming, one dreams of things that will happen several days or several months later, and upon waking one feels that something unusual is about to happen. If the manas does not condition upon karmic seeds, how could there be precognitive dreams? These matters of the future are all first perceived by the manas, which then alerts the mind consciousness to perceive them, so that countermeasures may be taken.