Are Bodily, Verbal, and Mental Actions Performed by Mind Consciousness or by Manas?

The actions of body, speech, and mind are all fabricated by the mind consciousness; they are fabricated under the driving force of the ignorance (avidyā) of the manas. If the manas had no ignorance, it would not prompt the mind consciousness to fabricate karma defiled by ignorance. This is what is taught in the twelve links of dependent origination: the ignorance of the manas prompts the mental factor of deliberation (manasikāra) of the manas to arise, giving rise to the decision to fabricate actions of body, speech, and mind; after the manas makes its decision, the mind consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses arise and fabricate actions of body, speech, and mind that accord with the mental activity and decision of the manas. The manas is the one in charge; the mind consciousness merely obeys the regulation and control of the manas. For example, when a five-year-old child goes out to buy soy sauce, it is at the direction of the adults; the adults at home take charge of managing the daily necessities, and when supplies run short, they send the child out to buy them. For example, an employee's work is arranged and assigned by the manager, and the employee must obey the leadership's management. For example, the development of all trades and professions in society is deployed by the top leadership core of the state; the subordinate units must carry out their work according to the deployment of the higher leadership departments and may not defy orders. 

On the surface, the actions of body, speech, and mind of sentient beings are all produced by the mind consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses, but in essence they embody the will and propositions of the manas, reflecting the habitual tendencies and habits of the manas. Only when the master and the servant operate in harmony can the five-aggregate body function in a coordinated way; if they cannot operate in harmony, it will lead to the manas's mental split and breakdown, resulting in mental illness. Of course, sometimes when the manas does not understand certain dharmas, it has no ideas or propositions of its own and will follow the opinions and views of the mind consciousness, sometimes even following blindly, not really understanding whether what the mind consciousness proposes is actually right. At such times, the mind consciousness shows its strength. If the manas has wisdom, the mind consciousness cannot be stronger than the manas; it is always the manas itself that takes charge and makes the decisions.