Is Human Nature Inherently Good or Evil?

The fundamental nature of humans refers to the innate mental attributes, comprising the nature of the manas and the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha. The acquired nature influenced by habituation is the mental attribute of consciousness. To discern the fundamental nature of humanity from the perspective of the five aggregates, one must examine the manas; from an overall perspective, one must examine the Tathāgatagarbha. To observe the manifestation of a person's mental attributes, one must look at the manas, for the manas is the root, while consciousness is the branches and leaves. Although the flourishing branches and leaves of consciousness may obscure the root of the manas, the branches and leaves of consciousness will inevitably wither and fall away, at which point the root of the manas will be fully and unmistakably exposed.

To perceive the mental attributes from the perspective of the five aggregates is to examine the nature of the manas; to perceive the essence is to examine the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha. However, generally speaking, it is the mental attributes of the five aggregates that are observed. The nature that the manas has held since beginningless kalpas determines the nature of humanity; whatever the mental attribute of the manas is, so too is the nature of humanity. This extends to the nature of animals, ghosts and spirits, asuras, and devas; further still, to the nature of arhats, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. More fundamental than the manas is the mental attribute of the true mind, the Tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, the original nature of humanity is the nature of the Tathāgatagarbha.