The Influence and Manipulation of the Eight Consciousnesses over the Physical Body

Even without body consciousness, the physical body can still have subtle movements. For example, some sentient beings, after their heads have been cut off, their bodies can still twist and writhe. This is because when the manas grasps the body, although it cannot regulate the brain's central nervous system, the spinal nervous system still exists, so the manas can make the body twist by controlling the spinal nervous system; at this time, body consciousness and mind consciousness are not necessarily involved. Another example: after falling asleep, even in deep sleep, the body also exhibits subtle movements, which likewise belong to nervous system activity. Talking in one's sleep in the middle of the night and the blinking of the eyelids are also unconscious activities, in which neither the mind consciousness nor the body consciousness arises.

Internal bodily activities, such as: heartbeat, pulse, breathing, nervous system activity, gastrointestinal peristalsis, digestion and absorption, cellular metabolism, and so on, are generally autonomously regulated and sustained by the tathāgatagarbha; the seven consciousnesses are often unable to exert any influence. The activities of the internal organs do not require body consciousness—they continue even during sleep, otherwise the person would die. Many bodily activities are not something that body consciousness and mind consciousness can dominate, nor something the manas can dominate. A person's birth, aging, sickness, and death are all beyond the manas's control, and even less within the mind consciousness's control; all are carried out by the tathāgatagarbha in accordance with karmic seeds. Observe any function or operation within the body: if it does not obey our command and control, then it is sustained solely by the tathāgatagarbha. Blood pressure and body temperature are like this—we cannot make them be however we wish—except for those with meditative concentration and supernatural powers, and except for those with strong power of mental intention.

However, the emotional and psychological activities of the seven consciousnesses can influence and change the functioning of the physical body's internal organs. The manas can influence and change the tathāgatagarbha's sustaining function over the physical body. The activities of the six consciousnesses are led by the manas and can also influence the tathāgatagarbha. The influence and regulation that the seven consciousnesses exert over the body's internal organs differ greatly from the tathāgatagarbha's manner of sustaining, controlling, and regulating. What is the difference? The tathāgatagarbha also heeds the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, and also heeds the five sense consciousnesses; that is why our cultivation is of use. Otherwise, everything would be fixed and unchanging, and cultivation would be of no use. Through frequent sitting in meditation and quiet sitting, everything within the physical body can be changed. Cultivation is mainly applying effort on the sixth and seventh consciousnesses; once the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are well cultivated, earth-shaking transformations will occur, all the way to buddhahood.