Can the Seeds Be Purified Before Enlightenment?

The purification of karmic seeds generally occurs only after afflictions are eradicated and one ceases to create karmic actions driven by afflictions; only then can the seeds be purified. As afflictive habits are eliminated, each bit of habit diminished allows the karmic seeds to purify a little. When afflictions are not fully eradicated, physical, verbal, and mental actions will still create unwholesome karma, preventing the karmic seeds from being purified. Before awakening, because one has not realized the true reality of all phenomena and still holds the view of self, one continues to grasp at the self and creates unwholesome karma for the sake of the self; thus, the karmic seeds cannot be purified. After awakening, upon realizing suchness and knowing the emptiness of all phenomena—that the five aggregates are devoid of self—one can gradually subdue afflictions, and the unwholesome karma created for the self becomes increasingly less. Only after attaining the first bodhisattva ground can one cease creating gross unwholesome karma; the seeds then begin to purify. However, since afflictive habits and ignorance remain, the arising of subtle unwholesome karma and unskillful actions is still unavoidable.

Buddhist practitioners should cultivate the habit of introspecting their own minds, as this enables the swift subduing of afflictions. Afterward, one must diligently strive to eradicate afflictions; only after cultivating the first dhyāna can one begin to gradually eliminate afflictions. Otherwise, one merely suppresses the afflictions, which will resurface when conditions arise, leading to the creation of karma driven by greed, hatred, and delusion. Only after severing the view of self and realizing the mind, and upon attaining the first dhyāna, does one gain the capacity to eradicate afflictions. Any approach other than this merely suppresses afflictions without uprooting them; if the root remains, the weeds of affliction will regrow. Consider a pool of polluted water: to purify it, one must first stop pouring sewage into it; only then can methods be employed to clean the water. If sewage continues to be poured in, there is no way to purify the polluted water. Therefore, the purification of seeds occurs after awakening; before awakening, one can only suppress afflictions and strive to avoid creating unwholesome karma as much as possible.