How to Eliminate Evil and Cultivate Goodness

Answer: The phenomenal affairs created by the six consciousnesses are ultimately decided by the seventh consciousness, the manas, which is the master behind them; they also represent the mental activities of the manas. Behind the surface actions of the mind consciousness, and behind all bodily, verbal, and mental actions, the seventh consciousness always reigns as the sovereign. Bodily, verbal, and mental actions can follow the mind consciousness, but only if the mind consciousness's power is greater than that of the seventh consciousness, and the seventh consciousness is willing to heed the mind consciousness's suggestions and guidance. If the seventh consciousness's power is greater and it is unwilling to heed the mind consciousness's suggestions, then everything is decided entirely by the seventh consciousness. For example, when someone kills living beings while feeling compassion for them even as they kill, 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. For the time being, the mind consciousness cannot prevail over the seventh consciousness; but when the mind consciousness grows stronger and understands the Dharma and cause and effect better, its power of persuasion becomes greater. Once the seventh consciousness has been persuaded, killing karma will no longer be committed. If the mind consciousness has not succeeded in perfuming 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 mind consciousness's wholesome mental factors are not yet firm and strong enough, 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 mind consciousness's wholesome mental factors are not strong and firm enough, and perfuming has not yet fully succeeded, the Four Right Efforts have not been cultivated. Then wholesome states not yet arisen in the seventh consciousness cannot arise, and unwholesome states already arisen cannot be severed—one cannot abandon evil and cultivate good.