Karmic Activities Are Primarily Mental Formations of Manas

Does the dharmas created without consciousness constitute karmic action, and is there karmic retribution? They still constitute karmic action and entail retribution. Moreover, since they arise dependent on karma, they are even more so karmic actions. For instance, when manas (the mental faculty) and the Tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) take rebirth together without the involvement of consciousness, this karmic action is immensely significant—it is the greatest and most crucial among all karmic actions, a decisive one that determines the destiny of sentient beings in the cycle of birth and death, constituting one of the twelve links of dependent origination. Because manas is afflicted by ignorance, it inevitably generates karmic actions leading to birth and death and is compelled to take rebirth, perpetuating the cycle. If it were said that manas and the Tathāgatagarbha taking rebirth together does not constitute karmic action, then there would be no karmic actions whatsoever within the three realms.

When manas and the Tathāgatagarbha together create a lotus in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss without the participation of consciousness, this karmic action is also extremely significant. It is an absolutely wholesome karmic deed that determines the rebirth of sentient beings in the Pure Land after death, liberating them from the bondage of birth and death in the impure world of the five turbidities. In the future, under the guidance and reception of Amitābha Buddha, they will realize the true nature of mind and then traverse the ten directions to broadly benefit sentient beings.

Manas and the Tathāgatagarbha together interfering with others, together bestowing blessings upon others, together entering others' dreams, together alerting others, as well as instances like rolling over and crushing a newborn baby without consciousness—all these constitute karmic actions. They may be wholesome, unwholesome, or indeterminate, but all entail karmic retribution. Whenever there is volition and action, there is karma, and there will be retribution. Rolling over and crushing a newborn baby while asleep at night without consciousness is unintentional; it is non-definitive karma (avyākṛta karma), yet it still entails retribution. The immediate retribution is the suffering of losing the child, and the karmic retribution in future lives may also involve being unintentionally crushed to death. This is a result of suffering, not a neutral result. Non-definitive karma does not necessarily lead to neutral retribution. Unintentional means without consciousness, but manas is present. Manas is also not deliberate and lacks specific intent, yet as long as there is action, there is karma and retribution.

Karma is primarily the karma of manas, corresponding to manas, and is the process of mental formation and volition by manas. The mental formations of manas sometimes require the cooperation of the six consciousnesses, and sometimes the six consciousnesses cannot cooperate, resulting in actions without their participation. Nevertheless, they are all karmic actions and entail retribution. If manas does not intend to create karma, no karmic action arises, and the six consciousnesses will not manifest to create karma. Therefore, it is said that manas is the master of karma creation, and this applies to both wholesome and unwholesome karma.