Karmic Conditions Are the Conditions That Assist the Arising of Dharmas

Question: When doing the high jump, one wants to jump one meter, yet one only jumps a few dozen centimeters. Is it the manas that decides to jump only a few dozen centimeters, or is it that the tathāgatagarbha, in accordance with karmic seeds and karmic conditions, can only cooperate in jumping a few dozen centimeters?

Answer: The manas has an aspiration, wanting to jump higher than one meter, but if the karmic conditions are not complete, and the condition and capability of the physical body cannot reach the goal, or if one is not destined to obtain this honor in this life, the tathāgatagarbha can only accord with conditions and cannot fulfill the manas's wish. It is like someone who wants to become a Buddha right now, but the karmic conditions are not complete, merit is lacking, and there are no corresponding wholesome karmic seeds; the tathāgatagarbha is also powerless in this regard—after all, even a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice.