Mind Consciousness and the Three Karmas Correspond and Turn in Accordance with the Manas

Question: The manas, before transformation, is constantly conjoined with defiled dharmas, and the manas is also a constantly operating consciousness. Therefore, the eighth consciousness, being entangled by the manas, is forever conjoined only with defiled seeds; once the mind consciousness becomes active, it is conjoined with defiled seeds. So as long as the manas has not been transformed into the untainted, the mind consciousness cannot possibly be transformed into the untainted, right?

Answer: This precisely proves that the manas is the master consciousness. The six consciousnesses become active depending on the manas, and the manas contains all afflictions, not just a portion of them. If the manas does not sever afflictions, the mind consciousness cannot sever afflictions; if the manas does not break through ignorance, the mind consciousness cannot break through ignorance—it can only subdue and suppress them. Therefore, cultivating solely at the level of the mind consciousness is not ultimate; it can still be destroyed, and can still be swayed by the manas, especially in future lives.

Although the manas is conjoined with defiled dharmas, it also has wholesome mental factors; it also directs the six consciousnesses to create wholesome karma and stores seeds of wholesome karma. The eighth consciousness therefore also contains seeds of wholesome karma, not merely seeds of unwholesome karma and defiled karma. Thus, after the mind consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses become active, they will also, in accordance with the manas, create wholesome karma and be conjoined with seeds of wholesome karma, not only conjoined with seeds of unwholesome karma and defiled seeds. The manas and the mind consciousness are conjoined with the three kinds of karma—sometimes wholesome, sometimes unwholesome, and sometimes neither wholesome nor unwholesome.