The Relationship between Karmic Seeds and Habitual Tendencies

The relationship between karmic seeds and habitual tendencies is extremely profound in principle, belonging to the domain of the seed-wisdom (bīja-jñāna) of Yogācāra. Habitual tendencies arise when a dharma that has been practiced for a long time gains momentum and becomes a habit, and then this habit comes to dominate one's bodily, verbal, and mental actions. After karmic actions are performed and stored as seeds, the karmic seeds are deepened and intensified, causing one's habitual tendencies in the future to become even heavier.

Habitual tendencies also come from karmic seeds; since something has become a habit through long practice, there must be karmic seeds behind it. Habitual tendencies are manifested by the manas. The manas directs the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses; after these actions are performed, they are stored as karmic seeds, which manifest in later lives—this is called habitual tendency. Karmic seeds are formed through karma created under the direction of the manas. The manas fully corresponds with karmic seeds: whatever nature the manas has, the karmic seeds have that same nature; and whatever nature the karmic seeds have, the manas manifests karmic actions of that same nature. If one wants to leave behind karmic seeds of no-self, what should one do? If one wants to form habitual tendencies of no-self, how should one practice? If in a future life one wants to be born already seeing the world of the five aggregates as empty, how should one practice in this life?

Subhūti, while still in his mother's womb, already knew that the world is empty and tranquil—how deep must that habitual tendency have been? His practice and realization of emptiness had lasted for more than innumerable kalpas; throughout such a long period of time his mind had been empty, so naturally this good habit of emptiness had continued for as long as innumerable kalpas. Subhūti's habitual tendency of an empty mind had not the slightest connection with the conditioning of his mind consciousness in this present life; even before his consciousness had appeared, his manas was already empty. How relaxed, at ease, and liberated such an empty mind must be!

As for emptiness that exists only in theory, when one faces worldly dharmas one is no longer empty; at the time of death one is no longer empty; after death one is even less empty; and in future lives it becomes even more impossible to be empty. Therefore, theoretically dwelling in notions like "everything is like a dream, like an illusion" or "suchness and the dharma-nature"—all of that is self-deception and is of no practical use whatsoever. When the moment of truth arrives, one acts just as one always has, and at the end of life one dies just as one always would; the problem of birth and death cannot be solved. These theoretical understandings reveal their true form as soon as one encounters an actual situation—one's original face is fully exposed—which is precisely why it is said to be of no use. But once the manas has realized it, forming karmic seeds, one reaps the benefit life after life: when situations arise, one does not revert to one's original form, and at the time of taking rebirth one is not deluded. If one is also not deluded while dwelling in the womb, not deluded at birth, and not deluded throughout the process of growing up, then one is liberated at all times.