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Alaya Consciousness and the Ripening of Seeds
To speak of the Alaya consciousness is to speak of the retribution consciousness, that is, the consciousness that contains all the seeds playing the role of self-nature, having the function of encompassing all self-entities and the destinies in the three realms. The word retribution means ripening and changing, requiring time to ripen in three senses:
- Ripening at different times: ripening at different times depending on the type of seed.
- Ripening into different categories: different categories ripen not at the same time and not in the same way.
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Ripening through transformation: when ripening, changing in nature from one state to another.
The process of operation of the store consciousness includes self-nature (seeds giving rise to manifestations and manifestations giving rise to seeds) and self-entity (the transmigration of all things leading to the destinies in the three realms: the realm of desire, the realm of form, and the formless realm).
Seeds are of two types: outer seeds belonging to the conventional and inner seeds belonging to the ultimate. A seed in the true sense has six characteristics:
- Perishing in a ksana: arising and perishing continuously in the shortest unit of time.
- Simultaneous with the fruit: being present simultaneously with the fruit, with the sense organ, and the object.
- Constantly following and transforming: continuously accompanying the manifestation to transform.
- Determinacy: whichever seed it is, it retains the nature of that seed.
- Awaiting conditions: waiting for favorable conditions to manifest.
- Leading to its own fruit: a particular seed leads to that particular manifestation.
In the process of perfuming, the six consciousnesses play the role of the perfumer, while the Alaya consciousness plays the role of the perfumed. The perfumed has four characteristics: steadfastness (being present constantly and long-term), indeterminate (neutral, having no color), perfumability (having the capacity to receive perfuming), and corresponding with the perfumer (occurring simultaneously and in harmony with the perfumer). The six consciousnesses cannot be the perfumed because there are three differences regarding sense organ, object, and attention, and because two thought-moments are not present simultaneously. Finally, both inner and outer seeds have two energies: the capacity to produce (bringing about manifestation) and the capacity to lead (maintaining the phenomena until they perish).
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Touching the Teacher Within