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

Chapter XIV Mental Factors of Manas

I. Mental factors are the guiding principle for practical cultivation and its operating system.

"Guiding" means mental factors can direct one towards the goal of practice, dispel ignorance, subdue and eradicate afflictions, transform mental activities, and alter karmic seeds. "Principle" means returning the mind to wisdom, purity, and liberation. The "operating system" relies on mental factors, continuously revising and transforming them. Practical cultivation is the process of operating mental factors and the operation of mental factors themselves—it is the process of the mind transforming itself.

The reason mental factors can change is due to the influence of consciousness on manas, causing manas to transform mental activities. The fundamental cause is tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature), which transforms the mental factors of manas. However, tathāgatagarbha is not the master consciousness; it does not make decisions, lacks subjective initiative, and passively changes seeds according to manas’ mental activities. Although all phenomena arise from tathāgatagarbha, the driving force behind them is the mental factors of manas. If manas does not intend to act, tathāgatagarbha remains inactive, and no phenomena arise.

Manas possesses subjective initiative; changes in mental attitude prompt alterations in karmic seeds. The transformation of manas’ mental factors is the cause, and the change in karmic seeds is the effect. The realization of manas is the cause, and the transformation of mental factors is the effect. Manas diligently practicing the Thirty-seven Factors of Enlightenment is the cause, and realization is the effect. Consciousness influencing and guiding through principle is the cause, and manas being influenced is the effect. Of course, each step of genuine practice causes changes in manas’ mental factors. The change in mental factors is the effect, while the cause is still manas’ mental factors prompting their own transformation, with the prerequisite that mental factors of consciousness propel those of manas.

II. Mental factors must arise simultaneously with consciousness.

Mental factors are companions to consciousness and must operate alongside it; otherwise, consciousness cannot function. Whenever consciousness arises, mental factors must arise simultaneously. Without mental factors, consciousness cannot operate, and thus no phenomena in the world could arise or exist. Even the operation of the eighth consciousness requires the coordination of its own mental factors; the very existence of the eighth consciousness also depends on the companionship of mental factors.

The emergence and operation of the four nutriments are functions of consciousness. Since consciousness cannot function without mental factors as companions, the four nutriments cannot exist without mental factors. Ordinary beings cannot do without the four nutriments; even sages in the human realm cannot do without them. Those with high meditative states may transcend physical food and mental volition, sometimes even contact nutriment, but they cannot transcend consciousness nutriment. The most fundamental need for sentient beings’ lives is the consciousness nutriment of the eighth and seventh consciousnesses.

III. The mental factors of sentient beings.

What mental factors operate during recollection? What mental factors operate during thought? What mental factors operate during research? What mental factors operate during deliberation? What mental factors operate during investigation? What mental factors constitute understanding? What mental factors constitute willingness? What mental factors operate during hope? What mental factors constitute comprehension? What mental factors operate during planning? What mental factors constitute anticipation? What mental factors constitute blessing? What mental factors operate within vows?

What mental factors constitute knowing, realizing, and understanding? What mental factors constitute agreement, approval, and concurrence? What mental factors constitute unwavering focus? What mental factors cause mental images to linger? What mental factors constitute constant remembrance? What mental factors constitute firm retention? What mental factors constitute steadfastness? What mental factors constitute single-pointed concentration? What mental factors constitute unblinking focus? What mental factors constitute conscience? What functions do the mental factors of thought encompass? What functions do the mental factors of ideation encompass?

Mental states, mental characteristics, personality, temperament, and disposition all belong to mental factors, which can be wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral. Strictly speaking, there are not merely fifty-one mental factors; if finely categorized, there are at least hundreds or thousands. Bodhisattva Vasubandhu only roughly summarized them as fifty-one, which is not comprehensive. If the Buddha were to categorize these mental factors, it would be extremely detailed. Therefore, when studying Buddhism, we can fully rely on the Buddha’s teachings, while for others’ teachings, we should use discretion and maintain flexibility.

Even when relying on the Buddha’s teachings, one should possess some adaptability. Fully understanding the Buddha’s words is extremely difficult, as sometimes the Buddha’s words and intentions differ and are not entirely consistent. Due to sentient beings’ limited wisdom, the Buddha cannot fully express His meaning, often speaking implicitly and skillfully. With insufficient wisdom, misunderstandings easily arise. Many who explain Buddhist scriptures do not convey the Buddha’s true intent; misinterpretations are too common and ordinary. The Buddha endures this, though without a mind of endurance.

IV. Different people possess different mental factors.

Among mental factors, apart from the five universal mental factors, others do not arise frequently but only occasionally. The five object-specific mental factors arise occasionally; the higher one’s wisdom, the more frequently they manifest. Wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral mental factors also arise occasionally, not constantly. The more virtuous a person, the more frequently wholesome mental factors manifest; the more unwholesome a person, the more frequently unwholesome mental factors manifest. At the Buddha stage, mental factors may manifest constantly. For example, the mental factor of concentration: the Buddha’s mind is constantly in samādhi, never leaving it. The mental factor of wisdom: the Buddha’s mind constantly possesses great wisdom, never without it. The mental factor of decisive understanding: the Buddha’s mind constantly decisively understands all phenomena. Wholesome mental factors like non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion: the Buddha’s mind is forever free from them. Mental factors like non-negligence, lightness, equanimity, and non-harming: the Buddha’s mind is constantly thus.

Each person has a unique personality and temperament; everyone’s mental factors differ. The complexity of sentient beings’ minds determines the complexity of the world; the world is manifested by sentient beings’ minds. If all sentient beings’ minds were like the Buddha’s, the world would be simpler and more sublime—serene and tranquil, beyond description, without even the metaphor of "clouds light, breeze gentle."

Ultimately, the world will become like that. Sentient beings, upon completing their cultivation, will possess minds that wise and simple, utterly uncomplicated, with personalities and temperaments extinguished. Mental factors will be solely wholesome, numbering exactly twenty-one, no more, no less. However, dissolving the mind to this degree requires three immeasurable eons, illustrating how difficult mind cultivation and transformation truly are. If the mind does not change, one suffers torment—tormenting oneself and others, mutual torment—unaware that sentient beings share the same root, only able to torment one another and endure alone.

V. Does manas possess discernment?

Where there is wisdom, there is discernment; where there is contemplation, there is a result of contemplation. Manas certainly possesses discernment, as contemplation is discernment. Because manas is the master consciousness, governing the entire operation of the five aggregates, without discernment it could not govern the physical, verbal, and mental actions of the five aggregates, and thus could not be the master consciousness. Then who would be the master? Manas’ discernment is indispensable, though it involves the degree of its strength and accuracy.

In which phenomena is manas’ discernment strong, and in which is it weak? When is its discernment strong and accurate, and when weak and inaccurate? Under what circumstances does it rely on the discernment of the six consciousnesses, and when can it discern without relying on them? Such differences exist. Manas’ discernment is strong regarding phenomena it clearly perceives, for clear perception enables good and swift judgment. If manas perceives unclearly, it cannot discern or cannot discern swiftly and accurately. Regarding phenomena it cannot comprehend, manas either hesitates or misjudges, leading to blind and erroneous decisions. If manas’ choice is wrong, the execution by the six consciousnesses will be wrong.

However, we can observe: in worldly matters, are sentient beings’ choices all erroneous and blind? Clearly not; there are many correct and accurate instances, likely most are reasonable. This demonstrates that manas possesses discernment, and its discernment is not insignificant. Instances of inability to discern exist, as do indecisiveness and misjudgment. This relates to manas’ inherent wisdom and its power of decisive understanding.

Manas’ discernment, on one hand, directly judges based on phenomena. The more familiar the phenomenon or the more experience manas has with it, the easier it is to judge independently. For more significant or urgent phenomena, it is easier to make quick, independent judgments, after which decisions are made, and the six consciousnesses arise to act. If manas cannot decisively understand the encountered phenomena, it cannot make swift and accurate judgments. On the other hand, if manas’ perception is coarse and requires finer discernment, it relies on the discernment of the six consciousnesses, depending on consciousness’ analysis, reasoning, and judgment. Then, based on the information transmitted by the six consciousnesses, manas makes its own contemplation and judgment, and the six consciousnesses arise to execute. If manas cannot decisively understand the content discerned by the six consciousnesses or the content analyzed, understood, and judged by consciousness, it cannot make judgments and decisions, or its judgments and decisions are wrong, leading to erroneous execution by the six consciousnesses.

VI. The correspondence between the five aggregates and the eighteen elements.

What are the conceptual scope, functions, and roles of the aggregate of form? Of the aggregate of sensation? Of the aggregate of perception? Of the aggregate of mental formations? Of the aggregate of consciousness? And of the six sense bases (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, manas)? Of the six sense objects? Of the six consciousnesses? What are their respective definitions? What are their correspondences? To which of the five aggregates do the eighteen elements specifically correspond?

The five sense bases and five sense objects, along with mental objects, correspond to the aggregate of form. The six consciousnesses and manas correspond to the aggregates of consciousness, sensation, perception, and mental formations. Sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are closely related to the seven consciousnesses. Form is also related to consciousness; without consciousness, there would be no aggregate of form for the five sense bases. However, ordinary people cannot observe the aggregates of sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness in manas; even the functions of sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness in the five consciousnesses are unclear to most. Thus, the role of manas in sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness is generally not mentioned in the Hinayana teachings.

The aggregate of form is accumulated by the four great elements. The aggregates of sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are accumulated by consciousness seeds. Consciousness seeds alone cannot function; they must operate with mental factors. Thus, the aggregates of sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness are the functions of mental factors. The mental factors of the six consciousnesses cannot exist without those of manas; if manas’ mental factors do not operate, there are no six consciousnesses or their mental factors. Therefore, the five aggregates and eighteen elements should have a one-to-one correspondence: the first five sense bases and objects correspond to the aggregate of form; manas, consciousness, and the five consciousnesses correspond to the aggregates of sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. The commander of all these phenomena is manas, and the supreme commander is tathāgatagarbha.

VII. Manas only perceiving significant mental objects contradicts manas silently encompassing all phenomena.

Question: Some say: "The mind is like a knife’s edge; it cannot cut itself." This refers to the seventh consciousness, manas, also known as the defiled mental consciousness. The Buddha named this seventh consciousness manas because it is the motivating force for the arising of consciousness seeds from the eighth consciousness. Consciousness relies on the volition of manas to arise, and after arising, it operates entirely according to the volition of manas. Hence, manas is said to be the root of consciousness. The object-specific wisdom of this manas is extremely inferior; it can only make extremely simple distinctions regarding mental objects on the five sense objects—for example, whether there are major changes in the mental objects on the five sense objects. This seventh consciousness, unlike the conscious mind which can deftly operate the five object-specific mental factors, lacks the mental factors of "desire, decisive understanding, mindfulness, and concentration." Its wisdom mental factor (object-specific wisdom) is also extremely inferior, only capable of making extremely simple distinctions regarding changes in mental objects.

Thus, since it cannot even perceive the five sense objects and must arouse consciousness to rely on its object-specific wisdom to contemplate various phenomena, how could it have the ability to reflect upon itself? How could it have the ability to contemplate phenomena? How could it have the ability to correct its own mental conduct and habits? Therefore, although this seventh consciousness is extremely keen and can perceive all phenomena, and can make decisions everywhere and always based on the object-specific wisdom of consciousness, yet without the object-specific wisdom of consciousness, it can do nothing. Due to this nature, the Buddha said manas is like the sharpness of a knife (metaphor for its keenness in perceiving all phenomena; consciousness has object-specific wisdom but cannot perceive all phenomena) yet cannot cut itself (metaphor for lacking the "self-witnessing division" of object-specific wisdom, thus unable to correct its own wholesome and unwholesome mental conduct). This means that for this consciousness to "change its defiled nature and transform into pure manas," it must rely on the object-specific wisdom and contemplative wisdom of consciousness; it cannot eliminate its own afflictions solely by its own function. Hence, the Buddha said manas is like a knife’s edge, unable to cut itself.

The above passage feels somehow incorrect. Could you analyze and explain it?

Answer: Since manas can perceive all phenomena, it can perceive any phenomenon without exception. Yet the above text claims manas only perceives mental objects on the five sense objects, and only significant changes. This is a self-contradictory statement.

For example, when observing the sun for an hour or a day, the sun does not change within an hour. Why can consciousness continue observing? Does manas not perceive the unchanging sun? What phenomena manas perceives determines what phenomena consciousness can discern. What consciousness knows, what the six consciousnesses discern, are all determined by what manas perceives. How could manas only perceive mental objects on the five sense objects, and only significant changes? The Śūraṅgama Sūtra states that manas silently encompasses all phenomena. If manas cannot perceive subtle and minute sense objects, it would not be silently encompassing all phenomena, and we could never know subtle and minute sense objects.

If manas lacks desire and does not wish to act, the six consciousnesses do not arise, and no phenomena appear. When the eye consciousness selects purple from many colors, it is decided by manas, proving manas also perceives the five sense objects to govern which objects the six consciousnesses discern. If manas does not contact or perceive the five sense objects, the five consciousnesses will not arise to perceive them, and there would be no selectivity regarding the five sense objects.

If there are phenomena manas cannot perceive, it would not perceive all phenomena. If manas cannot decisively understand, always being confused, it cannot make correct, reasonable, and proper decisions, cannot avoid danger, and cannot transform consciousness into wisdom. If manas lacks mindfulness, it cannot cause consciousness to arise and be mindful; no phenomena can appear, one cannot recite the Buddha’s name or scriptures, and nothing will manifest. If manas cannot contemplate, consciousness influencing manas becomes meaningless, let alone transforming consciousness into wisdom; no wisdom will arise. If manas cannot have concentration, no matter how much the six consciousnesses cultivate concentration, it will not succeed.

If manas cannot cultivate wholesome and unwholesome mental conduct, it can never change them; the wholesome remains wholesome, the unwholesome remains unwholesome. How can one subdue and eradicate afflictions? Consciousness influencing manas would achieve nothing, wasting effort. If manas lacks self-reflective power, lacks the self-witnessing division, yet the Buddha said all eight consciousnesses possess the self-witnessing division. Sentient beings’ strong self-trust and stubbornness are functions of manas’ self-witnessing division. Extreme obstinacy and unwavering belief are manas’ self-witnessing division; it simply believes itself correct.

Manas has the function of constant contemplation and examination; all phenomena must pass its scrutiny to be approved and acted upon. If manas’ wisdom is always so inferior, how can it reasonably examine and approve, how can it make wise decisions? Without wise decisions, sentient beings’ physical, verbal, and mental actions would constantly display foolishness and lack of wisdom. How could intelligent people exist in the world? What use is studying Buddhism? How could one attain wisdom and become a Buddha?

VIII. Controversy arises from relying on persons rather than the Dharma.

To directly and truly observe the operation of manas requires the wisdom of consciousness-only and the observational wisdom of at least a first-ground Bodhisattva. Because manas cannot be observed and is not truly known, controversy arises. Superficial teachings have no controversy because everyone can directly observe them. For what cannot be observed, people debate; otherwise, what is there to debate? White is white; black is black. Only when unable to distinguish black from white does one debate.

What mental factors does manas actually possess? Who can practically observe and verify this? Both the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are defiled and afflicted, with heavy obscurations—what ability do they have to practically observe? If there is anyone who can verify, let them explain the verification process.

Relying on the Dharma means relying on the true reality of manas’ operation. If one cannot observe manas, how can one define manas based on its true reality? How can one truly rely on the actual Dharma of reality? If one cannot rely on the Dharma of reality, then one relies on persons, which contradicts the purpose of Buddhist practice, contains errors, does not accord with the Buddha’s intent, and cannot lead to enlightenment.

IX. When the six consciousnesses are absent, all mental activities in the five aggregates belong to manas.

When asleep at night, a cold sensation arises in the body, then body consciousness and mind consciousness arise to resolve the cold. When asleep at night, a painful sensation arises, so body consciousness and mind consciousness arise to feel the pain and handle it. If manas knows it is cold, hot, or painful, why does consciousness still arise? Because after manas knows there is a problem, it cannot personally handle or solve it; problems of the five aggregates require the six consciousnesses to handle.

When the six consciousnesses are absent, all mental activities arising in the five aggregates are those of manas. When the six consciousnesses are extremely weak, those mental activities are almost entirely those of manas. Observing the state of a comatose patient: does the person feel pain? Does he wish to be comatose? Does he wish to continue lying in bed? When eating, does he wish to eat? What are his reactions upon seeing loved ones? These all illustrate manas’ mental activities and feelings.

When unconscious, whether manas wishes to be unconscious and its manifestations can be observed from these expressions. If during unconsciousness manas has equanimity, it should be indifferent like tathāgatagarbha and remain unconscious. However, as the body slightly recovers, manas prompts the six consciousnesses to arise and the functions of the five aggregates to appear. This indicates manas does not wish to be unconscious, is unwilling to be unconscious. Why unwilling, reluctant, disliking unconsciousness? Firstly, it is uncomfortable during unconsciousness; secondly, without the activities of the five aggregates, inaction feels boring—boredom is also suffering. If unconsciousness feels comfortable, manas would certainly maintain it; thirdly, manas fears death. Not wishing to emerge from meditation during seated meditation—does this indicate manas feels comfortable? Of course, if consciousness is relatively clear and also feels meditation is comfortable, it will cling to stillness and be unwilling to rise.

X. The five object-specific mental factors of the seven consciousnesses.

The five object-specific mental factors of the seven consciousnesses include: desire, decisive understanding, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. Due to ignorance, the concentration, wisdom, and decisive understanding among these five mental factors do not manifest constantly and everywhere but only occasionally. Due to ignorance, the seven consciousnesses sometimes lack concentration; due to ignorance, they sometimes lack wisdom; due to ignorance, they sometimes cannot decisively understand the Dharma. If ignorance is eradicated and no longer obscures the seven consciousnesses, the seven consciousnesses will constantly and everywhere be in samādhi—for example, Bodhisattvas of the eighth ground and above, and all Buddhas, are thus. Constantly and everywhere possessing wisdom, constantly and everywhere able to decisively understand the Dharma—for example, all Buddhas.

The true suchness consciousness of the Buddhas’ fundamental Buddha is constantly and everywhere in samādhi, possesses great wisdom, and can decisively understand all phenomena, without ignorance. Sentient beings’ eighth consciousness is also thus, but its content of concentration, wisdom, and decisive understanding differs from that of the seven consciousnesses. The seven consciousnesses possess concentration, wisdom, and decisive understanding regarding the Four Noble Truths, while the eighth consciousness decisively understands not worldly phenomena; its concentration is not worldly concentration; its wisdom is certainly not worldly wisdom.

XI. Consciousness’ mindfulness is the result of manas’ mindfulness.

If manas is not mindful of a phenomenon, how can consciousness be mindful? Manas contacts the phenomenon to be mindful of, wishing to perceive it clearly. Tathāgatagarbha accordingly gives rise to consciousness, which, following manas’ instruction, perceives and remains mindful of what manas is mindful of. If manas is not mindful of a phenomenon, it does not contact it and does not wish to perceive or act. Tathāgatagarbha cannot give rise to consciousness for further mindful action, and there is no consciousness to be mindful of the phenomenon. What manas is not mindful of does not appear. What consciousness is mindful of is the result of manas’ mindfulness, the result of manas’ arrangement and direction. Consciousness cannot arise without the contact condition of manas; it cannot arise without the decision of manas’ mental factor of contemplation. Consciousness cannot independently decide its own arising or any activities; it is not the master consciousness. Due to lacking autonomy, it is manas’ tool, obeying manas’ direction.

XII. Manas’ mindfulness and the mental factor of concentration.

If reciting the Buddha’s name or scriptures fails to influence manas, if manas has no mindfulness of reciting the Buddha’s name or scriptures, does not remember the Buddha’s name or scriptures, then it cannot occur that upon consciousness awakening, one finds oneself still reciting, or after consciousness finishes work, one turns to find oneself still reciting. Unconscious recitation is all directed by manas; it is manas’ conscious practice. Manas enjoys reciting, and consciousness, directed by manas, recites regardless of other activities. Thus, manas must possess the mental factor of mindfulness, must have memory, and must possess decisive understanding; otherwise, manas could not be influenced and would not constantly think of reciting. On the other hand, manas must also correspond to concentration, forming a habit. Persisting in one thing is concentration, enabling consciousness to consistently perform one task.

XIII. Manas’ decisive understanding.

To fully influence and guide manas, consciousness must diligently contemplate; without contemplation and observation, it cannot truly guide manas according to principle. The conscious mind, regarding phenomena it contacts, can understand them truthfully, most reasonably, most thoroughly, without misunderstanding or misinterpretation. If mistaken understanding prevents decisive understanding, one cannot make correct and error-free decisions; actions will certainly be wrong, with severe consequences. If manas lacks decisive understanding, can consciousness’ contemplation, observation, and understanding guide manas? Can manas be influenced? Clearly not. No matter what consciousness does, manas simply does not decisively understand; consciousness’ performance is utterly useless. Therefore, if manas is affected, it has been influenced; it has decisively understood the information transmitted by consciousness.

If manas lacks decisive understanding, no information transmitted by consciousness is useful. Then manas would no longer decide to let consciousness help it perceive phenomena, since after perception manas still does not understand. Manas would not decide to perceive and would gradually become quiet, like being blind, deaf, and mute. In reality, manas very much likes to let consciousness perceive and discern, then inform it. This shows manas must have decisively understood the content discerned by consciousness to continuously prompt consciousness to perceive, discern, contemplate, and judge, then make its own decisions and perform corresponding physical, verbal, and mental actions.

If I teach the Dharma and you never decisively understand, then I teach in vain, you study in vain, achieving nothing, perhaps even hindering each other. If others speak to you and you cannot decisively understand, you will distort their meaning, unable to respond reasonably and normally; two people cannot communicate, and communication is useless. Thus, people cannot interact or associate; they cannot coexist in one space. Among the seven consciousnesses, whichever lacks decisive understanding cannot correctly interpret corresponding phenomena, cannot make correct and appropriate decisions, resulting in blindness—unable to walk; the conscious mind cannot function normally.

If manas cannot decisively understand, and consciousness says, "I should go east," if manas does not understand, it either goes west or does not move. Ultimately, not only is the task unaccomplished, but one also becomes deeply frustrated, potentially leading to mental derangement. If a car approaches rapidly head-on and manas cannot decisively understand the urgency, it cannot immediately avoid it—what is the result? If boiling water scalds the hand and manas cannot decisively understand the body’s condition, it will keep scalding until body consciousness cannot bear it, yet manas still does not know what happened—what would be the result?

Manas is like a national president. What he cannot do personally, he lets assistants do; he need not handle everything himself. But if the president is said to be nothing, of very low wisdom, unable to decisively understand, without desire or mindfulness, without concentration—then consider, can this country be well? Belittling the president is like belittling the entire nation. If a car’s engine rusts and fails, what would the car be like?

Practice is not reciting texts but genuine wisdom observation. If observation does not arise, whatever is said is futile. To directly observe various mental factors also requires considerable meditative power and observational wisdom; at minimum, consciousness and manas must have transformed consciousness into wisdom. Reciting others’ words also requires wisdom; without direct observational wisdom, one does not know if recitation is wrong. Even if recited correctly, it is coincidence.

XIV. Manas’ self-witnessing division and self-witnessing division prove manas possesses decisive understanding.

These consciousness-only doctrines are extremely profound and subtle. Before awakening, the time required to directly observe the Dharma of consciousness-only wisdom is nearly one immeasurable eon. Therefore, no matter how wise anyone believes themselves to be, they should not be overly confident.

Since all eight consciousnesses possess the self-witnessing division, able to verify what they perceive, it shows that the conscious mind possesses decisive understanding and certain wisdom. The self-witnessing division of the sixth consciousness manifests relatively frequently and obviously, so it is easily observed, and ordinary people acknowledge that consciousness possesses wisdom and extremely strong decisive understanding. Foolish people’s consciousness lacks self-reflective power; the self-witnessing division does not manifest, decisive understanding is absent, and they cannot comprehend worldly or transcendental Dharma.

The eighth consciousness possesses the self-witnessing division, indicating it has wisdom and decisive understanding. Its decisive understanding is reflected in truthfully perceiving karmic seeds without misinterpretation, and truthfully actualizing karmic seeds without disorder. It is also reflected in the eighth consciousness truthfully and reasonably perceiving manas’ mental factors, closely cooperating with manas to satisfy its needs and produce all phenomena. The decisive understanding of the eighth consciousness is also reflected in truthfully knowing the body and environment, then outputting seeds to maintain and alter the body and environment.

The seventh consciousness also possesses the self-witnessing division, able to verify what it perceives, indicating the seventh consciousness has decisive understanding, can understand its own cognition and state, and corresponds to wisdom. Thus, in the future, it can transform consciousness into wisdom. The decisive understanding of the seventh consciousness is reflected in its ability to perceive phenomena manifested by the eighth consciousness and make correct decisions, directing the six consciousnesses to operate. It is reflected in the seventh consciousness correctly perceiving phenomena observed and discerned by the six consciousnesses, understanding the results of consciousness’ analysis, contemplation, and judgment, and thus being able to make correct decisions, producing reasonable physical, verbal, and mental actions without error.

When its decisive understanding develops to the utmost, it can transform consciousness into wisdom for the third time, ultimately accomplishing Buddhahood. It is never said that manas remains foolish, without decisive understanding or great wisdom, yet can become a Buddha. If possible, the result would be a foolish Buddha. Nor is it said that manas, without decisive understanding or great wisdom, can transform consciousness into wisdom, become a Bodhisattva on the grounds, enter the Tathāgata’s family, and become a true Buddha-son. If possible, the result would be a foolish Bodhisattva.

The five consciousnesses also possess weak self-reflective power, a self-witnessing division, and decisive understanding within a very limited scope, able to operate in coordination with manas’ instructions. However, the decisive understanding of the five consciousnesses is far inferior to manas, even more inferior to consciousness, and also inferior to the eighth consciousness’ decisive understanding, though the eighth consciousness cannot decisively understand sense objects or worldly phenomena.

When consciousness lacks wisdom and cannot observe the self-witnessing divisions of these consciousnesses, the self-witnessing divisions of these consciousnesses still exist and operate, regardless of whether consciousness can observe them or not.