Are Human Muscle Activities of the Mind Consciousness or of the Manas?

Question: The manas directly regulates a person's nervous system, and the nervous system in turn directly controls a person's muscle contractions. From this it can be seen that the direct operator regulating the body's muscular activity is the seventh consciousness, not the sixth consciousness. If that is so, why is it said that bodily conduct is a function of the mind consciousness?

Answer: Muscular activity belongs to the activity of the nervous system; it is a reaction that occurs after the brain's central nervous system issues commands, and the brain's central nervous system is regulated by the manas. As soon as the manas makes a decision, the cerebral cortex moves, the central nervous system issues commands, and these are transmitted to the corresponding nerves of the body, producing the phenomenon of muscle contraction. Although bodily, verbal, and mental actions are directed and commanded by the manas, the specific operations must be jointly completed by the mind consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses. If the six consciousnesses cannot arise normally, the body cannot function.

Although the contraction and relaxation of the nervous system are both regulated by the manas and are subconscious behaviors, they are very hidden and very subtle. This includes breathing: part of it involves conscious participation, but a large part does not require conscious participation. The movement of the body, without the mind consciousness, absolutely cannot be accomplished. Subtle nervous system activities can occur without the mind consciousness, such as the twitching of the body after falling asleep, the fluttering of the eyelids, and slight bodily movements—these can occur without the mind consciousness. Slight breathing can also occur without the mind consciousness, but the mind consciousness can actively regulate breathing, such as deep breathing and so on.

The muscular and nervous activities closely connected with the physical body can be regulated by the manas alone, without the cooperation of the mind consciousness; the mind consciousness may also participate, but it can only guide the manas and cannot command the whole body, because the manas alone can control the central nervous system, issuing commands there, and those instructions can be transmitted throughout the body. Nervous activity in which the mind consciousness participates is called conscious behavior; that in which the mind consciousness does not participate is called unconscious behavior. For example, breathing, the contraction and relaxation of muscles, incontinence of urine and feces, gastrointestinal peristalsis, the circulation of qi and blood, and some special emotional activities—such as being so startled that the heart pounds and the flesh jumps, flying into such a rage that the hair stands up under one's hat, or being so frightened that one's bowels and bladder give way—can all occur without the participation of the mind consciousness; the manas alone can accomplish them. However, the motor activities of the body faculty must be jointly operated and regulated by the body consciousness and the mind consciousness together with the manas.