The Discriminating and Non-Discriminating Nature of Tathāgatagarbha

The tathāgatagarbha inherently contains the seeds of the seven consciousnesses. When these seeds are output and, after discerning the six sense objects, return again, they bring back the content of the discernment and activities; the tathāgatagarbha then archives them, and at the same time knows what the seven consciousnesses have done. If the seven consciousnesses have performed karmic actions of greed, anger, and delusion, the seeds that return are defiled; after being stored, when output again they are defiled seeds, and the seven consciousnesses will naturally carry the nature of greed, anger, and delusion. If what the seven consciousnesses have engaged in is pure karma, the seeds that return are pure, and when output again, the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses will be pure. These seeds, following our bodily, verbal, and mental actions, must constantly alternate between purity and defilement: the more purity, the less defilement; the more defilement, the less purity. Purity and defilement will not increase simultaneously or decrease simultaneously; the two always stand in a relationship where one increases as the other decreases.

From this it can be seen that the number of seeds of the seven consciousnesses is fixed, and no increase or decrease in quantity can occur; otherwise, sentient beings' wholesome nature would increase while their unwholesome nature also increases; or wholesome karma would decrease while unwholesome karma also decreases—which is impossible.