The Tathāgatagarbha, Relying on Conditions, Follows the Manas

Question: When doing the high jump, one wants to jump one meter, yet one only jumps a few dozen centimeters. Is it the manas that decides to jump only a few dozen centimeters, or is it that the tathāgatagarbha, in accordance with karmic seeds and karmic conditions, can only cooperate in jumping a few dozen centimeters?

Answer: If the karmic conditions are not complete and the condition of the physical body cannot reach the goal, the tathāgatagarbha can only accord with conditions and cannot follow the wishes of the manas. It is like someone who wants to become a Buddha right now—if the karmic conditions are not present, the tathāgatagarbha is also powerless, for after all, even a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice.