Manas Is a Transfer Station

The manas is the relay station connecting the tathāgatagarbha with the mind consciousness, taking things from the tathāgatagarbha and handing them to the mind consciousness. The manas is not merely a relay station; it can itself remember the countless kalpas of events it has experienced, and these events also exist as seeds within the tathāgatagarbha. The manas and the seeds are always corresponding and in perfect accord with each other.

When a certain matter is needed, the manas prompts the mind consciousness to recall it; the manas then tosses the matter to the mind consciousness, and the mind consciousness recalls it and can even set about handling it.