The Dominating Nature of Manas

When itching appears, the brain issues the command to "scratch." If this command cannot be carried out, the neural regulation becomes disordered, and the body resorts to other means, causing the muscles to twitch in order to relieve the itch on its own.

The brain does not issue any command at all—was it the manas or the tathāgatagarbha that issued the command? It is the result of the manas mobilizing the body. The body does not come up with solutions either—was it the manas or the tathāgatagarbha that thought of the solution? It is the manas that came up with the solution. The tathāgatagarbha neither issues commands nor comes up with solutions. At this point the mind consciousness has not yet arisen, so it was not a command issued by the mind consciousness, nor a solution devised by the mind consciousness. Even when the mind consciousness is present, the autonomous activity of the body's neurons also occurs during sleep, when the mind consciousness cannot participate and cannot help; in the case of leg cramps, the mind consciousness only knows about it after the fact; the body's various reactions during deep coma all occur without any involvement of the mind consciousness; when a mosquito suddenly bites, the mind consciousness has no time even to think—a startled slap is delivered in an instant. Here there is no deliberation, analysis, or decision by the mind consciousness at all; the mind consciousness does not even know that a mosquito has bitten.