The Most Powerful Aspect of the Manas

Question: According to the findings of modern psychology, the manas also participates in the process of constructing the physical body. Therefore, under correct guidance, the manas can restore or correct abnormal conditions of the body. It is like a watchmaker: the watch is something he made, so when something goes wrong, he knows how to fix it. Is this statement correct?

Answer: The construction of the physical body is something that the tathāgatagarbha does entirely on its own, in accordance with karmic seeds. The manas does not understand these things and cannot be of much help. Therefore, restoring the condition of the body is entirely the business of the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha knows the karmic seeds and discerns karmic conditions, and thus naturally knows how to change the physical body; however, it also changes all dharmas, including the physical body, as much as possible in accordance with the intentions of the manas.

On the one hand, the change of the physical body is also the result of the tathāgatagarbha, moment by moment, complying with the deliberation (manasikāra) mental factor of the manas. Whatever the manas wants to do, the tathāgatagarbha does its utmost to cooperate in realizing its ideas—this is the most important point. This is the most formidable aspect of the manas: like holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords.

The mind consciousness cannot do this. The tathāgatagarbha does not cooperate with the mind consciousness; it only cooperates with the manas. The mind consciousness must pass through the manas's vetting and approval before its ideas can be realized. Therefore, it is very easy to realize the tathāgatagarbha at the level of the manas: whoever realizes the ideas of the manas, whoever discerns the ideas of the manas, whoever delivers the consciousness seeds to the manas—all of these are the tathāgatagarbha. The entire operation and activity of the manas is the tathāgatagarbha; the entire activity of the five-aggregate body is the tathāgatagarbha. There is nothing else—pure and unmixed, it is all the tathāgatagarbha. A cloth doll is entirely made of cloth.

Welcome to join the Liberation, Prajñā, and Yogācāra Group 7  238324425