Can the tathāgatagarbha of an arhat be called the retributive consciousness (vipākavijñāna)?

Ālayavijñāna, vipākavijñāna, and amalavijñāna—these three names all represent the eighth consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha. The reason the names differ is that the karmic seeds they contain differ. Changes in karmic seeds indicate that the ignorance which brings about birth and death has been reduced to a considerable degree, or has been completely extinguished. Among these, the name ālayavijñāna represents the presence of segmented birth-and-death, with karmic seeds of unwholesome deeds still heavy and numerous. When there is no more segmented birth-and-death but transformational birth-and-death still remains—that is, when all afflictive manifestations have been completely severed and the karmic seeds of unwholesome deeds have been eliminated, no longer attracting segmented birth-and-death within the three realms—that is the state of an arhat, the fourth fruit of the Small Vehicle. At this point, the tathāgatagarbha is called vipākavijñāna.

Because an arhat has completely severed afflictions, there is no more segmented birth-and-death, that is, no more transmigration through the six paths of the three realms. Although no longer transmigrating within the six paths, the arhat still has the identity of a noble one beyond the six paths and a training ground for cultivating the path, and with this identity continues to practice within the three realms until attaining buddhahood, never leaving the three realms. Thus, when an arhat has completely severed afflictions and escaped the segmented birth-and-death of transmigration in the six paths, the ālayavijñāna is renamed vipākavijñāna. This state of liberation is equivalent to that of an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva, except that the habituated tendencies have not yet begun to be severed. Although an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva has begun severing habituated tendencies, they are not yet exhausted; as long as they are not exhausted, there is still transformational birth-and-death, and the tathāgatagarbha is also called vipākavijñāna.

From this we can see that birth and death arise from afflictions and the habituated tendencies of afflictions. The aim of practice is to sever afflictions and sever habituated tendencies—whether in the cultivation of the Great Vehicle or the Small Vehicle, the goal is the same. The only difference is that Small Vehicle practice can only reach the level of completely severing afflictions but cannot sever habituated tendencies; one must then continue to advance into the Great Vehicle, in hopes of exhausting all ignorance and attaining the fruit of buddhahood. Because the principles of the Small Vehicle Dharma are not deep enough and not ultimate, they cannot guide practitioners in severing habituated tendencies, whereas the doctrines of the Great Vehicle gradually deepen, becoming subtle and minute to the finest degree, omitting nothing, and can guide practitioners to exhaust all ignorance and habituated tendencies and ultimately become a Buddha. After understanding this principle, in learning Buddhism and practicing, one must constantly examine and introspect upon one's own mental disposition, checking whether afflictions have lessened and whether the mind has become a bit purer. Do not take the theories one has learned as ultimate; theory serves the purpose of severing afflictions and habituated tendencies. Once habituated tendencies are completely severed, all theories become useless.

In summary, the ultimate fruit of the Small Vehicle is equivalent to the liberation-wisdom realization of an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva of the Great Vehicle, but it lacks the eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva's profound wisdom of the seeds of consciousness (yoga of the ālaya), and there has been no transformation of consciousness into wisdom. In terms of wisdom, an arhat differs greatly from an eighth-bhūmi bodhisattva, and also greatly from a first-bhūmi bodhisattva; even the wisdom of non-arising in the Great Vehicle differs considerably from that of bodhisattvas at the three stages of the ten faiths and ten abhūmis (the three virtuous stages). If a practitioner only cultivates the liberation of the Small Vehicle and not the Great Vehicle, that liberation is still not ultimate; the great matter of birth and death is ultimately not truly resolved. Although such a person can attain nirvāṇa, birth and death still remain.