How to Cease Evil and Cultivate Good

Question: The six consciousnesses represent phenomenal appearances — are they the main factor determining how one lives in this world?

Answer: The phenomenal appearances created by the six consciousnesses are decided by the seventh consciousness, the manas, which acts as the master behind them; they also represent the mental activities of the manas. Behind the surface actions and creations of the mind consciousness, and behind the bodily, verbal, and mental actions, the seventh consciousness always presides as the master. Bodily, verbal, and mental actions can follow the mind consciousness, but only if the power of the mind consciousness is greater than that of the seventh consciousness, and the seventh consciousness is willing to heed the suggestions and guidance of the mind consciousness. If the seventh consciousness is stronger and unwilling to heed the mind consciousness's suggestions, then the seventh consciousness completely presides and makes the decisions. For example, when killing a living being while feeling compassion for sentient beings at the same time, it shows that the mind consciousness's compassion still cannot overcome the seventh consciousness's habit of killing, and the killing karma is still committed in accordance with the seventh consciousness. The mind consciousness temporarily cannot prevail over the seventh consciousness; but when the mind consciousness grows stronger and understands the Dharma and cause and effect better, its persuasive power increases. Once it has persuaded the seventh consciousness, killing karma will no longer be committed. If the mind consciousness has not succeeded in perfuming and transforming the seventh consciousness, then it will obey the manas in committing killing karma while at the same time feeling compassion in its heart. 

When the wholesome mental factors of the mind consciousness itself are not yet firm and strong, it cannot persuade the seventh consciousness and cannot prevail over it; then one will commit wholesome karma on the one hand, while on the other hand being greedy, hateful, and jealous, seeking only one's own benefit and having no thought of benefiting others. When the wholesome mental factors of the mind consciousness are not strong and firm enough, and perfuming has not fully succeeded, the four right efforts have not been cultivated: the not-yet-arisen wholesome states of the seventh consciousness cannot arise, and the already-arisen unwholesome states cannot be severed — one cannot sever evil and cultivate good.