All Dharmas Are Subject to the Discriminative Function of the Manas

Our bodily activities are carried out by the manas through its regulation of the brain, with the cooperation of the six consciousnesses. For example, when we open our eyes in the morning, the eyes do not open automatically; it is the manas that issues the command, regulating the six consciousnesses to open the eyes. For example, when eating, once the manas perceives the signal of having eaten one's fill and decides to stop eating, it commands the six consciousnesses to cease eating, and the six consciousnesses obey the command and stop eating. This also proves that the manas, through the brain, can control the activities of the entire body, and the activities of the entire body are all activities of the six consciousnesses. For example, flushing with anger, jumping up in fury, being exasperated, coming to blows, beaming with joy, being elated with delight, and so on—all of these manifest because of the manas's afflictive emotions; they are the result of the manas's manipulation.

On what basis does the manas issue commands? Why does the manas grasp the condition of the physical body so accurately and so promptly? All dharmas within the physical body are manifested and upheld by the tathāgatagarbha. To what degree one has eaten one's fill will be instantly and truthfully reflected by the tathāgatagarbha; relying on the tathāgatagarbha, the manas knows everything without exception. Once the manas knows, it will give rise to a mind of choice, make a decision, and then issue the command. Of course, the manas's knowledge of the six sense objects and its knowledge of the detailed condition of the body are obtained through the discrimination of the six consciousnesses. The condition of the body while unconscious or asleep is also instantly and truthfully reflected by the tathāgatagarbha, and the manas will promptly come to know it. At these times there is no mind consciousness at all; it is entirely the manas knowing on its own by relying on the tathāgatagarbha.

Take another example: when suddenly seeing an acquaintance, the mind consciousness cannot recall the other person's name no matter how it tries, yet one still feels one knows the other person's name, feels very familiar with it, as if it were on the tip of one's tongue and could be spoken at any moment. In this situation, it is merely that the mind consciousness cannot recall it; it does not mean that the manas does not recognize the other person or the name. After the other person leaves, the mind consciousness will suddenly remember it. Why can the mind consciousness remember it? It is because the manas gave the mind consciousness a certain amount of information, and the mind consciousness suddenly remembered. In the operation of all dharmas, there is always the function of the manas, but not necessarily the function of the mind consciousness. If there are some functions and operations for which we cannot distinguish whether the manas is involved or how great the manas's role is, then we should think about the several states in which the six consciousnesses are absent, and consider how the manas works in those states.