What Does "Following Karma to Manifest Phenomena" Mean

In the Shurangama Sutra, the principle of "manifestation according to karma" explains that sentient beings encounter specific aspects of the Dharma based on their own karma and karmic conditions; without the requisite karmic conditions, they remain inaccessible. For instance, consider a gold mine: some who mine it obtain gold, while others do not. Just as with water: some who need water die of thirst without obtaining it, while others encounter so much that they drown. Similarly, regarding hell realms: some beings can perceive and enter them, while others cannot perceive or access them. The same applies to celestial realms, and even to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Every environment in which a sentient being dwells manifests according to their karma; nothing appears without corresponding karma.

All phenomena manifest within the mind based entirely on karma. Even when sentient beings encounter the same external six dusts (objects of the senses), due to differences in their karma, the internal six dusts transmitted by their respective Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature) to the supreme sense bases differ. Consequently, each sentient being is affected differently, leading to distinct perceptions and experiences of the same objective realm. The most renowned example is that of celestial beings, humans, and hungry ghosts perceiving the same river: while the external manifestation is identical, the internal manifestation they perceive differs, resulting in disparate experiences and effects.