What does tathāgatagarbha rely on to uphold and transform the physical body?

The tathāgatagarbha constantly abides in quiescence and cessation without moving. If He is to manifest any dharma, it must be the result of the manas being stirred, and there must be the manas as a co-existent condition. On the surface, when the tathāgatagarbha forms the nāma-rūpa fertilized egg, transforms and refashions the fertilized egg, and repairs the tissues of the material body, it seems that there is no functioning of the manas, but in fact the manas is always at work. The manas is forever corresponding with karmic seeds, and the tathāgatagarbha accords with karmic seeds—according with both seeds of merit and seeds of demerit—which is tantamount to according with the manas. In the vast majority of cases, when the tathāgatagarbha gives rise to worldly dharmas, He does so in accordance with karmic seeds. Even when the manas is constantly deliberating and constantly making choices, when the tathāgatagarbha cooperates with the manas, He must still rely on karmic seeds, on the conditions of merit, and on other causal conditions.

If the causal conditions do not permit it, if merit is insufficient, if there are no karmic seeds, or if the karmic seeds have not yet matured, the tathāgatagarbha cannot give rise to dharmas according to the manas's choices. For example, many people wish to be promoted and get rich, wishing to possess excellent worldly retribution, but they lack the corresponding karmic seeds, and the conditions are not ripe either, so they can only carry on as before, living the ordinary life of commoners. Take another example: some people have the retribution of chronic illness; no matter how hard they try, no matter how much money and energy they spend, they cannot restore their bodies to health. Even one who had the merit of an emperor could not manage it; moreover, once an emperor has exhausted his merit, he may commit suicide, or be killed, or have his power usurped and his throne seized. In this world, quite a few people are born with great merit, but because from childhood they indulge in and squander this merit to the extreme, by the time they grow up the merit is used up, and they either die young, or live in poverty and hardship, or meet with many calamities and misfortunes.

The retribution of the three realms is drawn along by karmic power, and the tathāgatagarbha turns along with karmic power. But if the power of vows is greater than karmic power, it can draw the tathāgatagarbha along to follow one's aspirations. When ordinary beings make great vows, they will gradually break free from the bondage of karmic power, be reborn and transformed into sages, and ultimately become Buddhas. Therefore, repentance and the making of vows is a powerful method of practice. As long as there is a vow, as long as the manas has a vow, sooner or later the day of its fulfillment will come. No vow is an empty vow; all will be fulfilled—the only question is when the conditions will be complete. After these great vows are made, the tathāgatagarbha records them and forms them into seeds; when the seeds mature, sentient beings will have their wishes granted. What we need to do is, first, to make pure great vows and wholesome vows, and second, to strive to bring the seeds of the power of vows to maturity; in the future we will obtain the fruits of those vows.