Manas Utilizes the Six Consciousnesses to Generate All Physical, Verbal, and Mental Actions

All information from the six consciousnesses is transmitted moment by moment to the manas. The manas is aware moment by moment of the information discerned by the six consciousnesses, as well as their mental activities. Thus, the manas can, based on the information from the six consciousnesses, generate its own mental activities moment by moment, and then exercise control moment by moment. The six consciousnesses are the instruments used by the manas; if the six consciousnesses cannot function, even if the manas has a reaction, it cannot manifest it. Being anxious is useless. It is like a person wanting to fell a large tree, but the blade in their hand is broken and unusable; they can only watch helplessly, unable to act.

When a person uses a blade to fell a tree and the tree is cut down, is it the person or the blade that fells the tree? Naturally, it is the person who fells the tree; it is the person who uses the blade to fell the tree. Both the credit and the blame should rest with the person. Similarly, the manas uses the six consciousnesses to create all physical, verbal, and mental actions. Both the credit and the blame for these actions should rest with the manas; the six consciousnesses are merely being directed. However, if the six consciousnesses offer advice or schemes to the manas, and the manas acts accordingly after heeding them, then the six consciousnesses also share in the responsibility.