Mind Consciousness Serves the Manas

Question: Regarding the dharma teaching that the mind consciousness is the master, such as the Verses on the Structure of the Eight Consciousnesses which says "alone it is foremost in moving the body and producing speech," as well as the deliberating volition (śintayitvā-cetanā), deciding volition, and motivating volition — do these all speak of the mind consciousness being the master?

Answer: None of these say that the mind consciousness is the master. The meaning of "moving the body and producing speech" is that the mind consciousness can, together with the body consciousness, move the body and create bodily karma, and the mind consciousness can, together with the body consciousness, produce vocal sounds and create verbal karma. For bodily and verbal karma, the mind consciousness has the greatest function and plays the primary role, while the body consciousness plays a supporting role with a weaker function.

The deliberating volition, deciding volition, and motivating volition — these describe the function of the mental factor of volition (cetanā) of the mind consciousness. Although the mind consciousness has these functions of the volition mental factor and can make decisions, whether His decision ultimately produces its due effect still depends on whether the manas accepts it and the degree to which it accepts it. For example, when a child decides to buy a toy, whether the purchase can ultimately be made depends on whether his parents agree, because the money is held by the parents, and the parents have the authority to decide how to spend it. For instance, a staff officer or subordinate may decide to launch a military exercise, but whether this matter is ultimately accomplished is decided by the chief and the commander-in-chief; the staff officer or subordinate merely offers a suggestion, and whether it is heeded is up to the leadership.

The mind consciousness exists to serve the manas. If the manas does not need the service of the mind consciousness, it will not decide to give rise to the mind consciousness, and then the mind consciousness will not appear, so there is no question of it being the master or making decisions. The five sense consciousnesses also have the volition mental factor and can make decisions, but the decisions of the five sense consciousnesses are even weaker than those of the mind consciousness; whether they are effective or heeded all depends on the manas. Then, after the manas makes the decision as master, whether it can be accomplished still depends on the eighth consciousness; if there are no karmic seeds and no merit, even the eighth consciousness is powerless. Therefore, for the manas to be the master and accomplish things and give rise to certain dharmas, there are also preconditions — it is not that whatever the manas wants to do, it can accomplish.