Guide to the Cultivation and Realization of the Manas: Part One

Chapter Seven: The Discriminative Nature of Manas

I. The Scope of Manas' Discrimination

The scope of manas' discrimination is extremely broad; it can discriminate all dharmas, regardless of whether these dharmas are changing or not. Some dharmas remain unchanged for a long time, yet manas can still discriminate them; even minute, unchanging dharmas can be discriminated. If there were dharmas that manas could not discriminate, then the six consciousnesses could not arise to perform more subtle and specific discrimination.

Manas discriminates not only dharmas within the subtle sense organs (indriya) but also dharmas outside them. Only when it can discriminate the internal six dusts (sense objects) can it give rise to the six consciousnesses to discriminate the six dusts. After manas discriminates a form dust (rūpa), if it wants to specifically discern what color it is or what object it is, it will give rise to eye consciousness and mental consciousness. After manas discriminates a sound dust (śabda), if it wants to know what sound it is, it will give rise to ear consciousness and mental consciousness to perform specific discrimination. The same applies to the other dusts: form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas.

Manas can also discriminate coarse and heavy five dusts. For example, when there are colorful flowers in front, if manas is interested in the purple flowers, it will give rise to eye consciousness and mental consciousness on the purple flowers to focus and discriminate. The more interested manas is, the longer the discrimination lasts and the more focused it becomes. If the eye consciousness and mental consciousness can focus on appreciating violets for one or two hours, it indicates that manas is very interested in the violets, constantly contacting them and discriminating them; otherwise, the eye consciousness and mental consciousness would disappear and cease appreciating the violets. The same applies to the other dusts.

Why insist that manas only discriminates changing, fluctuating dharmas? Manas can discriminate unchanging dharmas and the six dusts; otherwise, it would lose its function of awareness and vigilance, and the six consciousnesses could not arise. When a multitude of colors appear, if manas selects purple, it will cause the six consciousnesses to focus intently on appreciating it, while seeing a pink flower, it might not give it a second glance. Since manas makes such choices, it shows that manas knows the differences between various colors. Thus, manas can contact all six dusts and possesses a certain level of decisive understanding (adhimokṣa) towards them, enabling the six consciousnesses to focus and appreciate them. This indicates that manas is also constantly in contact, so manas also has concentration (samādhi). If manas lacked concentration and wandered to other dust realms, the six consciousnesses would immediately disappear from the original dust realm.

Searching for one's favorite violets among a large number of flowers shows that manas has desire, possessing the mental factor (caitta) of desire (chanda). If manas did not wish to see the violets, it would not give rise to the six consciousnesses to search for them. Wherever manas does not reach, the six consciousnesses will not appear.

II. The Discrimination of the Six Consciousnesses is Mastered by Manas

Some say manas only conditions dharmas (mental objects), but who leads the five consciousnesses in discriminating the five dusts, and what causes them to arise? The arising of the six consciousnesses and their discriminatory activities on the six dusts are all directed and controlled by manas; it is because manas wants to engage in some activity on the six dusts that they appear. The discrimination of the five dusts by the five consciousnesses is also decided and mastered by manas. For example, if eye consciousness always follows a certain color, who decides and directs this? It is because manas is relatively interested in that color that the eye consciousness follows it. If ear consciousness always pursues a certain coarse sound dust, focusing on a rumbling noise, who decides and directs this? It is still controlled by manas; manas finds the sound peculiar and wants to discern it clearly, so it causes the ear consciousness to keep focusing and discriminating.

Most people say that dharmas they (their consciousness) do not know do not exist. In reality, dharmas that exist do not necessarily let your consciousness know them. Dharmas unknown to consciousness are known by manas; manas can condition them and have a rough, general understanding. Some dharmas cannot be known by the mental consciousness or the six consciousnesses for several reasons: one is because consciousness lacks the wisdom to perceive them; another is because manas lacks the wisdom to prompt consciousness to know them; another is because conditions are insufficient for consciousness to know them. Some dharmas are unnecessary for the six consciousnesses to know because manas does not want to discriminate or process them carefully. Countless people mistake the six consciousnesses for their self, but the true provisional self is actually manas, not the six consciousnesses.

"I think, therefore I am" refers to manas – the deep-level thinking, the inner thoughts and concepts, all belong to manas. Ordinary people say "I know, therefore I am"; this "knowing" refers to the six consciousnesses. When the six consciousnesses do not know, consciousness feels it does not exist. But regardless of whether the six consciousnesses know or not, the internal and external six dusts exist; countless dharmas exist. Even if the six consciousnesses can know, they can know only a limited number of dharmas; the scope of discrimination is limited.

III. Manas Can Discriminate Dharmas Regardless of Their Significance or Change

Those who cannot directly observe the functioning of manas as it truly is will have many misunderstandings about it. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha said that manas silently contains all dharmas. The scope of these "all dharmas" is extremely vast; whatever dharmas the tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) can manifest, manas can simultaneously discriminate them; manas, following the tathāgatagarbha, can condition whatever dharmas it manifests. This is the meaning of the Buddha's words in the sutra.

Some say manas only conditions significant dharmas and they must be changing; insignificant, unchanging ones cannot be conditioned. Is this true? If there were dharmas manas does not condition, the six consciousnesses certainly could not condition them. Any dharmas discriminated by mental consciousness are all contacted and discriminated by manas. In fact, in daily life, mental consciousness can discriminate dharmas regardless of whether the dharmas are significant or insignificant, changing or unchanging. For example, the buzzing of a mosquito, the sound of one's own heartbeat, subtle sounds in the ears, sounds in the stomach – such minute sounds are known by consciousness precisely because manas has grasped and conditioned them.

Therefore, manas must contact and discriminate them first, albeit not meticulously; only then are the mental consciousness and the six consciousnesses born to assist in discrimination. Thus, regardless of whether dharmas are significant or minute, manas, following the tathāgatagarbha, can condition and discriminate them all. Only dharmas that manas considers relatively important, useful, or habitual to discriminate does it cause the six consciousnesses to arise and discriminate them. For the parts where the six consciousnesses did not arise to discriminate, manas can still condition and discriminate them; it's just that consciousness is unaware of it.

Even if dharmas do not change, manas can continuously discriminate them. For example, if mental consciousness and eye consciousness look at an unchanging scene for half a day or a full day, then manas contacts this scene for that duration without shifting. Manas does not only contact frequently changing dharmas, nor does it only condition dharmas and not the five dusts. For instance, manas first contacts a multitude of colors, becomes interested only in specific colors, and then gives rise to eye consciousness and mental consciousness on the colors it is interested in to jointly discriminate them, while ignoring the other colors.

Those who truly wish to learn the Dharma and achieve something must rely on truth and the facts of reality, not on individuals or authorities.

IV. Why Do Unpleasant Sounds Persist?

Why do sounds that consciousness dislikes hearing persist? Sometimes one wants to think quietly, but subtle noises, insect chirping, etc., are always audible in the ears, feeling somewhat noisy and distracting. Why do sounds that consciousness dislikes hearing persist? This is due to the habitual grasping (prāpti) of manas, caused by aimless grasping. Manas' habits are too powerful; consciousness has no way to control it. Only through long-term cultivation of concentration (dhyāna), immersing the mind in something it is very interested in, can one block the dharmas that consciousness does not wish to know.

When meditative concentration is deep and consciousness is highly focused, if manas grasps dharmas that consciousness dislikes and does not wish to discriminate, manas, knowing this, will gradually cease grasping them. Knowing that consciousness pays no heed to it, manas stabilizes, and attention also becomes concentrated. This is the principle of cultivating concentration: when consciousness no longer complies with manas, manas has no choice but to restrain itself and revolve around consciousness, thus both become stabilized.

If one cultivates too urgently, and consciousness contradicts manas too severely, manas will become very agitated, very uncomfortable, sometimes even prone to anger, feeling depressed. Then consciousness should slow down the pace, not force manas too strongly. Choose a dharma that manas is interested in and immerse oneself in it, changing manas' habits, and then get back on the right track of cultivating concentration.

V. Manas Cannot Process Realms Without Consciousness

A mosquito suddenly lands on your face, and you unconsciously slap your face; only afterward do you realize a mosquito was biting your face and you were swatting it. How can you do something you were unaware of? Who did it?

A mosquito landing on the face is very, very light; consciousness usually cannot detect it. Yet, even without detecting it, one still instinctively swats the mosquito. Of course, this is entirely directed by manas. It can be seen that no matter how minute the six dust realms are, manas can discriminate them first. For dust realms involving one's own safety, it immediately decides and handles them, thus the six consciousnesses arise to deal with matters critical to oneself. Therefore, manas, even without the help of consciousness for discrimination and judgment, can still distinguish between significant and minute dust realms, distinguish what is beneficial and harmful to the five aggregates (skandhas), and take swift action. Its wisdom is not low. When manas discriminates realms, it can do so without consciousness, but when processing realms, it absolutely cannot do so without consciousness; manas cannot handle anything alone and must have the assistance of consciousness. Therefore, often, the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of consciousness or the six consciousnesses precisely reflect the thoughts and moral cultivation of manas, reflecting the mental actions (caitasika) of manas.

Consciousness and body consciousness sometimes deal with a mosquito bite by swatting, sometimes by scratching, sometimes by touching, sometimes by picking; the actions vary. Why are different actions chosen? All are decided, directed, and produced by manas. Manas has judgment and decision-making power regarding the touch dust (spraṣṭavya); it understands touch dust in various situations. Therefore, situations differ, decisions differ, and the actions of consciousness and body consciousness differ accordingly.

VI. The Dharmas Discriminated by Manas Far Exceed Those Discriminated by Consciousness

Question: Sometimes while walking, one cannot see someone following behind, yet one knows someone is there. How is this known? Are the people and objects behind one the internal appearances (pratibimba) within the brain? Can form dust enter the subtle sense organs in the brain without passing through the eye faculty?

Answer: The people and objects behind cannot be transmitted to the subtle sense organs in the brain through the eye faculty because the eye faculty does not face backward. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha said that among the twelve hundred merits, the eye faculty possesses only eight hundred merits. This means the eye faculty can contact form dust directly in front and two-thirds to the left and right; the rest it cannot reach. Therefore, knowing that someone is following behind is known by the exclusive mental consciousness (manovijñāna) as an exclusive mental phenomenon (manodhātu), not as form dust. This exclusive mental phenomenon is contacted and known by manas. Manas considers this important and alerts consciousness to know it. Manas knows an immense number of dharmas, but it cannot express them, and consciousness has no way to know what manas knows. Therefore, consciousness remains unaware. Some people say "I don't know," but actually manas knows. There are extremely many dharmas known by manas but unknown to consciousness. Thus, manas knows all dharmas, while consciousness, lacking supernatural powers and great wisdom, knows only a limited number.

Sneezing is a sudden event; consciousness has no psychological preparation; it is initiated by manas. When a ghost comes, consciousness does not know, but the body shivers; this is induced by manas. Before a major event occurs, consciousness does not know what it is, but one feels inexplicably happy or troubled; this is initiated and hinted at by manas.

VII. The Meaning of Direct Perception (Pratyakṣa)

Direct perception (pratyakṣa) refers, firstly, to the wisdom realm discriminated by consciousness, and secondly, to the mode of discrimination by consciousness. The direct perception of consciousness has a certain level of wisdom; the degree of wisdom differs, and so does direct perception. The more direct the aspect (ālambana) consciousness faces, the more real and factual it is, the easier it is to have direct perception, the more accurate and true the cognition, and the less prone to error. If the direct perception wisdom of consciousness is deep, when it contacts a realm or dharma, it knows immediately, right then and there, without analysis, investigation, pondering, inquiry, or conjecture, and the knowledge is completely accurate. If it cannot know instantly, it indicates insufficient wisdom, a defect. If, after a long time of inference (anumāna) or erroneous cognition (abhāva), it still doesn't know, it is foolishness, lacking wisdom. If the knowledge is incorrect or has errors, the wisdom is shallow.

The eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) can directly perceive all dharmas accurately and without error, including events countless eons (kalpas) in the future. As long as it discriminates the karmic seeds (bīja), it knows instantly, without the need for comparison, research, analysis, conjecture, inquiry, or pondering, because the eighth consciousness has no ignorance (avidyā) and possesses profound, boundless wisdom. All dharmas are personally manifested and personally conditioned by the eighth consciousness, so its discrimination cannot be mistaken. If the eighth consciousness discriminated erroneously, then cause and effect (karma) would be unimaginable, the body of the five aggregates could not function normally, and life could not proceed in an orderly fashion. This phenomenon is impossible; therefore, the eighth consciousness must directly perceive all dharmas.

The aspect (ālambana) corresponding to the seventh consciousness, manas, is the "image based on reality" (pratibimba), originating from the essential realm (svalakṣaṇa) born from the eighth consciousness. It is seen based on the seeing aspect (dṛṣṭi) of the eighth consciousness and is close to reality. Therefore, what manas discriminates is a direct perception realm, but the result of its discrimination is erroneous cognition (abhāva), with varying degrees of error. The manas at the Buddha stage has completely transformed consciousness into wisdom (jñāna); its discrimination results are all direct perception, without erroneous cognition.

The aspect corresponding to the five consciousnesses is the "true realm" (svabhāva), which is also relatively real and does not follow the mind's transformations. Therefore, the five consciousnesses engage in direct perception. However, if the eye faculty has karmic obstacles, the discrimination of the five consciousnesses will be affected to some extent, and the result of discrimination may become erroneous cognition.

The aspect corresponding to mental consciousness is the "seemingly based on reality" or "false based on reality" realm (pratibimba or abhūtaparikalpa), which differs significantly from the essential realm. Therefore, mental consciousness discrimination includes direct perception, inference, and erroneous cognition, requiring very deep and meticulous wisdom. The results of mental consciousness discrimination include both direct perception and erroneous cognition, which often influence the cognition and decisions of manas and easily defile it.

Compared to the tathāgatagarbha, the seven consciousnesses all engage in erroneous cognition; their conclusions are all mistaken. The so-called direct perception of the seven consciousnesses is relative within a certain scope; it is relative direct perception, false direct perception, not absolute direct perception. Because conventional truth (saṃvṛti-satya) is not truly conventional truth; its essence is ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya), the seven consciousnesses, unaware of this principle, produce erroneous cognition even when directly perceiving conventional truth.

In reality, only the mind of the eighth consciousness, and the minds of the seven consciousnesses after becoming a Buddha, possess cognition that fully accords with facts. Before Buddhahood, because ignorance still remains, the seven consciousnesses have erroneous cognition to varying degrees. The closer one is to the Buddha's wisdom, the less erroneous cognition there is, and the more direct perception realms there are. The more ordinary one is, the more erroneous cognition there is, with little or no direct perception. Even seeing mountains and rivers as mountains and rivers before one's eyes is not direct perception; it is still erroneous cognition, because one only sees the false appearance, not the essence of the appearance.

VIII. The Concepts of Direct Perception (Pratyakṣa) and Erroneous Cognition (Abhāva)

Direct perception (pratyakṣa): "Pratyak" means present, current, immediate, actual, real, in accordance with principle and Dharma. "Kṣa" means estimation, measurement, weighing. Direct perception is the estimation, measurement, and weighing of the conditioned dharma that accords with facts and truth. When seeing a dharma, one sees and knows it right then and there, can judge it immediately, without mental consciousness imagining, fantasizing, or comparing, without deliberate processing.

Erroneous cognition (abhāva): Opposite to direct perception, it is not one's own wisdom realm; one cannot correctly cognize according to principle and Dharma; discrimination produces errors. It requires mental consciousness to think, analyze, imagine, fantasize, recall, etc., in order to know. Erroneous cognition also has another meaning: erroneous estimation, consideration, weighing, measurement, resulting in conclusions that are wrong and do not accord with facts.

IX. The Three Modes of Cognition for the Seven Consciousnesses

The discrimination of the six dusts by the seven consciousnesses is divided into three modes: direct perception (pratyakṣa), inference (anumāna), and erroneous cognition (abhāva). "Kṣa" (量) means estimation, measurement, weighing. Correct, principle-conforming measurement is direct perception; comparative measurement is inference; measurement not in accordance with principle, reality, or Dharma is erroneous cognition; that which wisdom cannot reach is erroneous cognition.

Direct perception discrimination discriminates what is current, existing, presently operating, existing, actual, real dharmas, true dharmas. Inference discrimination discriminates by comparing two or more dharmas; determining principles and facts necessarily requires a reference point; otherwise, discrimination is impossible. This shows that inference discrimination lacks sufficient wisdom. Direct perception discrimination has no reference point; it relies entirely on present wisdom to discriminate and judge immediately.

Erroneous cognition discrimination discriminates what is not presently existing, not real, imagined, fabricated, fantasized, empty dharmas, false dharmas, not directly conditioned, not personally realized, illusory dharmas. This type of discrimination has two extremes: one is wisdom-based with rich imagination; the other is purely delusional without boundaries. The latter does not manifest direct perception wisdom.

The five consciousnesses all engage in direct perception; they discriminate only presently existing, real dharmas, not fabricated ones. The five consciousnesses cannot imagine nor infer; they discriminate the current dharma as it is, without fantasizing. However, the five consciousnesses can also discriminate erroneously, such as mistaking the color on a form, e.g., seeing red as green. This is erroneous cognition discrimination, which only occurs when the five faculties are impaired. Because the damaged five faculties manifest distorted internal five dusts, the five consciousnesses discriminating these distorted dusts seem to discriminate incorrectly, resulting in erroneous cognition.

Mental consciousness can engage in direct perception, inference, and erroneous cognition discrimination. Its scope of discrimination is broad; it can discriminate empty and false dharmas, imagine, fantasize, compare, and think, but the results include both direct perception and erroneous cognition. The discrimination of manas is relatively deep, subtle, and difficult to know. Its wisdom in discriminating the six dusts is indeed not meticulous enough. It cannot discriminate by comparing two dharmas; therefore, it has no inference. Manas also cannot imagine, cannot fantasize, cannot conjecture without basis; it cannot perform these erroneous cognition discriminations, so it can only engage in direct perception discrimination, but the results are often erroneous cognition. Manas discriminates using the mode of direct perception, discriminating only currently existing dharmas, real dharmas. However, its cognition is always erroneous, not in accordance with truth, taking all dharmas as self and what belongs to self, when in reality they are neither self nor belong to self. Therefore, in terms of discrimination results, it is erroneous cognition.

True direct perception belongs only to the eighth consciousness; there is not a trace of inference or erroneous cognition. It discriminates the true appearances of all dharmas, which are not realms of the six dusts, nor appearances of the conventional world. What manas thinks is not truth; therefore, over the course of three great asamkhyeya kalpas of cultivation, one must gradually make it recognize truth, realize truth experientially, transform its deluded thoughts and non-thoughts into true direct perception wisdom, eliminate its attachment to what is not the Dharma, return all dharmas to their true owner, cease possessing all dharmas, and then manas will be completely transformed. From then on, having eliminated all burdens, thoroughly liberated from the bonds of all dharmas, one ascends the throne of Buddhahood. At this point, the mission of mental consciousness ends; there is no longer a need to learn any dharma or to defile manas.

Since manas cannot engage in erroneous cognition discrimination, how then does the erroneous cognition discrimination of mental consciousness appear and continue? After manas decides on a certain matter, mental consciousness carries it out specifically. While executing it, mental consciousness adopts the form of erroneous cognition, and manas takes the content discriminated by mental consciousness as direct perception for deliberation and decision-making. For example, visualizing Buddha's light shining on one's own body is erroneous cognition. After successful visualization, the body truly becomes healthy. If one truly visualizes Buddha's light and the Buddha truly emits light shining upon oneself, then visualizing Buddha's light is direct perception, and the body's health is also direct perception. The visualization is decided by manas and implemented by mental consciousness. During visualization, it is the subjective imagination of mental consciousness. When concentration is deep, wherever mental consciousness visualizes, manas follows and discriminates there. Manas takes the content of mental consciousness' visualization as the present realm and discriminates it, belonging to direct perception discrimination. Mental consciousness' visualization is the erroneous cognition thinking and imagination. When its result manifests truly and presently, it is all a direct perception realm.

X. The Three Modes of Discrimination for the Seven Consciousnesses

Does erroneous cognition discrimination mean that the result of consciousness' discrimination is erroneous and does not accord with facts, or does it mean that the mode of consciousness' discrimination can involve imagination, fantasy, conjecture, prediction? It means that the mode of consciousness' discrimination can involve imagination, fantasy, conjecture, prediction. Then only mental consciousness can have the mode of erroneous cognition discrimination. The five consciousnesses must engage in direct perception discrimination. Manas must engage in direct perception discrimination. The eighth consciousness always engages in direct perception discrimination; what it discriminates are direct perception realms because all dharmas are presently manifested by the eighth consciousness; for the eighth consciousness, they are all presently existing dharmas, hence all are direct perception realms.

Dharmas that are not direct perception realms cannot be conditioned or cognized by the seventh consciousness, manas. Therefore, to make manas accept and recognize any dharma, it must be a direct perception dharma, with factual basis, very real, clear reasoning, and discernible principles. Hence, for manas to sever the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) is much more difficult than for mental consciousness to sever it. One cannot simply think or ponder and be done with it; it requires deep, penetrating contemplation and practice (bhāvanā), with manas constantly weighing and deciding until the reasons are sufficient, the principles clear, and the facts manifest, only then can manas accept it.

The five consciousnesses also engage in direct perception discrimination of the five dust realms. Regarding the five dusts not currently present, the five consciousnesses cannot imagine and discriminate them; they cannot fantasize any five dust realms. Any dharma imagined, fantasized, recalled, or anticipated by mental consciousness must be manifested as an image by the eighth consciousness; one could say it arises from nothing. They are all illusory and sustained by the eighth consciousness. Therefore, what the eighth consciousness discriminates are all direct perception dharmas; it does not need to engage in erroneous cognition or inference discrimination of any dharma.

Mental consciousness always has three modes when discriminating: direct perception, inference, and erroneous cognition. Direct perception discrimination discriminates dharmas existing presently right now; it does not know dharmas not currently present, does not need to recall, imagine, or compare them, does not process the dharmas – what is present is what it is. However, the results discriminated by the seven consciousnesses have two kinds: direct perception and erroneous cognition.