The Arising, Abiding, Changing, and Ceasing of All Dharmas Are Governed by Karmic Seeds

Throughout the immeasurable kalpas of birth and death in the cycle of reincarnation, who presides over sentient beings? Some say it is the Tathagatagarbha that presides, while others say it is the manas (the seventh consciousness) that presides. Both views can be considered correct. The Tathagatagarbha presides in a passive manner, for it has no intention to dominate anything; it does not actively preside over sentient beings' birth and death across immeasurable kalpas. Yet, ultimately, it is the Tathagatagarbha that manifests all dharmas and the cycle of birth and death, so it can indeed be regarded as the master of sentient beings' reincarnation. The manas, on the other hand, possesses the volition to dominate; it actively presides in the cycle of birth and death, its mind and karmic force presiding over all dharmas and the cycle of reincarnation.

In my view, the birth and death of sentient beings is presided over and determined by karmic seeds. For karmic seeds to preside means that the Tathagatagarbha presides, as it is the Tathagatagarbha that stores and releases karmic seeds, realizing the causes, conditions, and karmic retribution of sentient beings according to these seeds. Thus, for karmic seeds to preside is essentially for the Tathagatagarbha to preside, and vice versa. Although karmic seeds lack initiative and are not the true agent, they actually play the dominant role.

For karmic seeds to preside also means that the manas presides. The manas corresponds to the karmic seeds; what kind of karma exists determines what kind of manas exists, and what kind of manas exists determines what kind of karma exists. The two are mutually matched and consistent. Although there are many karmic seeds that the manas dislikes, they are, after all, created by the manas itself. There are many things the manas wishes to preside over, but it still requires corresponding karmic seeds and karmic conditions. Without the corresponding karmic seeds, the manas cannot preside and can only drift along with the karmic seeds. Therefore, for karmic seeds to preside is for the manas to preside, and for the manas to preside is for karmic seeds to preside. Karmic seeds unify the Tathagatagarbha and the manas; both preside and do not preside. The Tathagatagarbha gives birth to all dharmas in accordance with the karmic seeds, presiding passively. Although the manas presides actively, it still conforms to and aligns with the karmic seeds. Thus, ultimately, all dharmas are determined by the karmic seeds.

Although it is the karmic seeds that decide, if the volitional power of the manas is extremely strong, it can transcend the karmic seeds and preside through this power, manifesting all dharmas according to the vow. For example, after an Arhat attains the four dhyanas, whereas previously he would have passed away naturally at the end of his lifespan, he can now choose to depart earlier or later, determining the length of his life himself. At this point, it is the manas that presides, or the volitional power of the manas that presides. However, upon careful analysis, it is still the karmic seeds that preside, for having attained the four dhyanas, the karmic seeds have changed. When the karmic seeds change, the karmic retribution changes, and birth and death become self-mastered, making it appear as though the manas can preside.

In reality, the manas corresponds to the karmic seeds at every moment, in every life. All dharmas are still presided over by the karmic seeds, which determine their birth, abiding, change, and cessation. The six realms of reincarnation for sentient beings are originally determined by karmic seeds. If through cultivation one generates a great pure vow, the karmic seeds change, and the karmic retribution will change accordingly. Superficially, it may seem as though the manas presides, as if the manas desires something and it comes to pass, but in truth, it is still the karmic seeds that preside and play the decisive role.

For example, a person in a vegetative state lies in bed for decades, unable to move their body. In our view, their manas should have long chosen to leave that unusable body. However, because they still possess a remnant of human fortune, the blessing of being human not yet exhausted, and the karmic seeds of being human not yet vanished, they continue to live as a vegetative being. They must exhaust this bit of fortune, lacking the wisdom to make longer-term plans, such as preserving blessings for future lives to live more comfortably. If the karmic seeds for fortune are exhausted, the manas will immediately decide to depart; even if it does not decide, it will be forced to leave passively, for it can no longer sustain life without the fortune and karmic seeds to support it.

Another example: in the past, some individuals, after attaining the fruit of enlightenment, chose to commit suicide to leave the human realm early, so that in their next life they would be reborn in the heavenly realm to continue their cultivation. In such cases, one could say the manas presides. However, because they have eradicated the view of self and possess corresponding wholesome karmic seeds, they are supported in abandoning the human realm to cultivate in the heavenly realm. With blessings and wholesome karma supporting them, they can enjoy the wholesome retribution and blessings of eradicating the view of self ahead of time; if the manas wishes to commit suicide, it succeeds. Without eradicating the view of self and without changing the karmic seeds, even if suicide succeeds, after death one will not be reborn in the heavenly realm nor enter the remainderless nirvana. One will inevitably follow their original unwholesome and evil karma to take rebirth, perhaps falling into the three evil realms to suffer. Thus, all dharmas are still presided over and decided by the karmic seeds.

Karmic seeds reside within the Tathagatagarbha. The Tathagatagarbha discerns the karmic seeds and, according to them, creates all dharmas to manifest the causes, conditions, and karmic retribution of sentient beings. Therefore, all dharmas are still presided over by the Tathagatagarbha. The manas appears to preside on the surface but may not truly be able to dominate, for it is constrained by karmic seeds and cannot genuinely preside. Thus it can be seen that all dharmas exist within cause and effect; nothing lies beyond cause and effect, and no dharma exists that violates causality.