Who Governs the Bodily, Verbal, and Mental Actions of the Six Consciousnesses?

The phenomenal deeds carried out by the six consciousnesses are determined by the seventh consciousness, the manas, acting as the master behind them; they also represent the mental activity of the manas. Behind the surface actions of the mind consciousness and behind bodily, verbal, and mental actions, there is always the manas reigning as the master. Bodily, verbal, and mental actions may follow the decisions of the mind consciousness, but the mind consciousness must be stronger than the manas and persuasive enough; the manas must be willing to heed the mind consciousness's suggestions and guidance. If the manas is stronger and unwilling to accept the mind consciousness's suggestions, then the manas alone reigns and decides. For example, when someone kills while feeling compassion for sentient beings even as they kill, it shows that the mind consciousness's compassion still cannot overcome the manas's habit of killing, and the killing karma is still committed in accordance with the manas.

When the mind consciousness temporarily cannot prevail over the manas, once the mind consciousness grows stronger and better understands the Dharma and cause and effect, its persuasiveness increases; after it has persuaded the manas, killing karma will no longer be committed. When the mind consciousness has not yet succeeded in perfuming the manas, it will comply with the manas in committing killing karma while at the same time feeling compassion in its heart. When the wholesome mental factors of the mind consciousness are not yet firm and strong enough, it cannot guide the manas and cannot prevail over it; thus it will commit wholesome karma on the one hand while being greedy, angry, and jealous on the other, seeking only its own benefit and having no thought for others. When the wholesome mental factors of the mind consciousness are not strong and firm enough, and perfuming has not fully succeeded, the four right efforts have not yet been cultivated: wholesome states not yet arisen in the manas cannot arise, and unwholesome states already arisen cannot be severed; one cannot eliminate evil and cultivate good.