The Tathāgatagarbha's Discernment of the Material World, the Five-Aggregate Body, and the Mental Activities of the Manas

The tathāgatagarbha discerns the external five sense objects; it not only discerns the seeds of the five sense objects, but can also discern the general appearance of the five sense objects as they manifest and the forms of their material particles. Because the tathāgatagarbha can absorb the four great elements' particles, it must discern the state of those particles. The tathāgatagarbha discerns the physical body and the material world; this is a state formed from seeds—countless seeds of the four great elements mixed together, arising and ceasing moment by moment. The tathāgatagarbha must discern the general state and structure of the material world in which it abides, and so on, but not in the manner or with the content of the discernment of the six consciousnesses. The tathāgatagarbha knows the present state of the material world and its future state, and thus can maintain and change the state of the material world. In this way, what it discerns is not merely seeds, because the seeds have already become material form (rūpa).

The mode of activity of the tathāgatagarbha differs from that of the seven consciousnesses; the states of mind are vastly different, and the difference in wisdom is even greater. No matter what, the seven consciousnesses can never match that transcendent great wisdom of the tathāgatagarbha—that great wisdom which creates, manifests, and upholds all worldly dharmas.

The tathāgatagarbha also upholds and changes the five-aggregate body moment by moment. It must discern the current state of the five-aggregate body and know how to change it in the next instant, continually keeping the five-aggregate body consistent with the karmic seeds. Whether the five-aggregate body should experience illness or pain in the next moment, whether the body should deteriorate or improve, what changes should occur in the next moment—the tathāgatagarbha knows all of this. It even knows when the last breath should be exhaled. Therefore, in accordance with the karmic seeds and karmic conditions, it brings about changes in the physical body, fashioning and transforming the body according to conditions, so as to accord with the karmic seeds and realize cause and effect.

If the seven consciousnesses wish to become wealthy, after the tathāgatagarbha discerns the mental activities of the manas, it then discerns the karmic seeds, checking whether there are corresponding karmic seeds and whether the conditions for gaining wealth have matured. If the conditions have matured, the tathāgatagarbha cooperates to create opportunities for wealth, fabricating all kinds of events, and then the money is obtained; otherwise, the tathāgatagarbha remains indifferent to the matter.