Body and Mind Depend on Each Other

Question: The mind consciousness is clearly influenced by the brain organ. For example, when one is tired and drowsy, the reasoning ability and speed of the mind consciousness both decline. Moreover, when a person grows old, the reasoning ability and speed of the mind consciousness also decline. For instance, a Go player who wants to achieve good results must attain them in their teens or twenties. All of this shows that the mind consciousness is closely related to material form. Is this the case?

Answer: The deliberative activity of the mind consciousness is indeed closely related to the material form of the brain, but this does not show that the mind consciousness has material properties; it can only be said that body and mind are mutually dependent and mutually influencing. When the body is tired, fatigued, or aging, the structure of the four great elements of the body changes, the inner six sense-objects manifested by the tathāgatagarbha in accordance with them change, the supreme faculty changes, and the discriminating activity of the consciousness-mind must accordingly differ. When the inner six sense-objects manifested by the tathāgatagarbha at the supreme faculty gradually diminish, gradually become distorted, and gradually become deformed, the six consciousnesses—especially the mind consciousness—gradually exert more effort in discerning the six sense-objects, gradually become distorted, and gradually become less nimble.