The Most Significant Aspect of Manas

Question: According to modern psychological research, the manas (mental faculty) also participates in the construction of the human body. Therefore, under proper guidance, the manas can restore or correct abnormal physical conditions. Just as a watchmaker, who created the watch, knows how to fix it when it malfunctions. Is this statement correct?

Answer: The construction of the physical body is solely performed by the tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) based on karmic seeds. The manas does not understand this process and cannot assist. Therefore, restoring the body's condition is entirely the function of the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha knows the karmic seeds and discerns karmic conditions, thus naturally understanding how to alter the physical body. However, it must also strive to transform all dharmas (phenomena), including the physical body, in accordance with the intentions of the manas.

Changes to the physical body also result, in part, from the tathāgatagarbha's continuous, moment-by-moment compliance with the mental factor of volition (cetanā) associated with the manas. Whatever the manas intends to do, the tathāgatagarbha strives to cooperate and actualize its thoughts. This is paramount. This is the most formidable capability of the manas – controlling the emperor to command the lords.

Consciousness (manovijñāna) lacks this ability. The tathāgatagarbha does not cooperate with consciousness; it only cooperates with the manas. Consciousness must pass through the scrutiny and approval of the manas before its own ideas can be realized. Therefore, realizing the tathāgatagarbha through the manas is very easy. Who actualizes the thoughts of the manas? Who discerns the thoughts of the manas? Who supplies the seeds of consciousness to the manas? All are the tathāgatagarbha. The entire operation and activity of the manas are the tathāgatagarbha. All activities of the five aggregates (skandhas) are the tathāgatagarbha. There is nothing else; purely and without admixture, all is the tathāgatagarbha. The entire rag doll is cloth.

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