Tathāgatagarbha Uses the Seeds of the Seven Great Elements to Transform and Create the Five Aggregates and the Seven Consciousnesses

The four great seeds of earth, water, fire, and wind are seeds inherently possessed within the tathāgatagarbha. When the tathāgatagarbha encounters conditions and transmits these seeds outward, they can compose the material body and five faculties of sentient beings, and can also compose the forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and dharmas that sentient beings need, composing the universe's material world and the Buddha-lands of the ten directions. In this way, the direct retribution body of sentient beings and the circumstantial retribution of their living environment are fully provided, and sentient beings are thereby able to survive.

The tathāgatagarbha naturally and intrinsically possesses the seven great seeds of earth, water, fire, wind, space, seeing, and consciousness. Only when the tathāgatagarbha transmits the seeds of consciousness outward can the seven consciousnesses arise, and only then are there the functions and roles of the seven consciousnesses. In this way, the five aggregates of sentient beings are fully provided, and there is normal activity of the five aggregates. The four great elements have a great effect on our material body, being able to sustain the needs of our body's life activities. If the proportions of the four great elements become imbalanced, illness and suffering will appear in the material body; when illness and suffering appear in the body, the conscious mind will be affected, the mind will not be at peace, and feelings of suffering will arise. Our body and mind are mutually dependent and mutually influential: when the body is well regulated, the mind becomes smooth and at ease; when the mind and consciousness are well regulated, the material body becomes healthy and long-lived.