The activities of the physical body are all driven by the mental engagement (manaskāra) of the manas

How do we go from east to west and from south to north every day? How do we switch this physical body to any given location? All of this is driven by the mental engagement (manaskāra) of the manas, driven by whatever thoughts and purposes the manas holds. And the manas's thoughts, in turn, are influenced and guided by the thoughts and plans of the mind consciousness.

Then some people say: "Clearly, my mind consciousness does whatever it wants to do—how can it be that the manas is the one who decides?" On the surface, it may seem that the mind consciousness does whatever it wants, but in reality, the mind consciousness's ideas must be approved and accepted by the manas, and then the manas makes the decision and chooses, after which the mind consciousness's thoughts and purposes are manifested.

Take driving a car, for example: at every instant, it is the manas that decides how to drive and where to drive. Within this, the manas is also, instant by instant, directed by the mind consciousness's thinking, analysis, planning, and judgment. After the mind consciousness gives its directions, if they do not accord with the manas's ideas, the manas may not follow the mind consciousness's guidance. Only when the manas deems the mind consciousness's ideas reasonable will it accept its guidance.

In this process, the mental activities of the mind consciousness are relatively evident, while those of the manas are relatively hidden. Therefore, people with insufficient wisdom cannot observe the mental activities of the manas and can only observe the mind consciousness's mental activities in a rough way. Since the cognitive views and opinions held with insufficient wisdom are not reliable, one should not consider one's own views to be absolutely correct.