The Relationship Between Karmic Seeds and Habitual Tendencies

The relationship between karmic seeds and habitual tendencies is a very profound principle, belonging to the domain of the wisdom of seeds in Yogācāra. A habitual tendency arises when a practice long cultivated has gained momentum and become a habit, and this habit then 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 arise from karmic seeds; since something has become a habit over a long time, there must be karmic seeds. 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 become manifest in future 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 nature; and whatever nature the karmic seeds have, the manas manifests karmic actions of that nature. If one wishes to leave behind karmic seeds of "no-self," what should one do? If one wishes to form the habitual tendency of "no-self," how should one cultivate? If one wishes, in future lives, to be born already seeing the world of the five aggregates as empty, how should one cultivate 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 cultivation and realization of emptiness had lasted for more than countless kalpas; throughout such a long span of time his mind was empty, so naturally this good habit of emptiness persisted for as long as countless kalpas. Subhūti's habitual tendency of an empty mind had not the slightest connection with the conditioning of his mind consciousness in this life; even when the mind consciousness had not yet appeared, the manas was already empty. How light, free, and liberated such an empty mind must be!

Emptiness that exists only in theory ceases to be empty when one faces worldly phenomena; it is not empty at the time of death, even less empty after death, and in future lives it becomes impossible to be empty at all. Therefore, theoretically dwelling in "everything is like a dream, like an illusion," or in "suchness and the nature of dharmas"—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 death one dies just as one always would; the problem of birth and death cannot be resolved. These theoretical understandings reveal their true form the moment one encounters an actual situation—one's original face is exposed—hence it is said they are of no use. But once the manas has realized it and it becomes a karmic seed, one reaps the benefit life after life: when situations arise, one does not revert to one's original form, and one is not deluded at the time of rebirth. If one is not deluded while dwelling in the womb, not deluded at birth, and not deluded throughout the process of growing up, then that is liberation at all times.