Mental Factors of the Mind base\: A Practical Compass (Second Edition) (with over 30,000 additional words, reorganized)

Chapter 3: The Five Object-Specific Mental Factors

Section 1: General Discussion of the Five Object-Specific Mental Factors

1. All Seven Consciousnesses Possess the Five Object-Specific Mental Factors

The five object-specific mental factors—desire (chanda), determination (adhimokṣa), mindfulness (smṛti), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā)—are not only the key to accomplishing transcendental dharmas, but also the key to accomplishing worldly dharmas. The arising, abiding, change, and cessation of all dharmas are brought about by the five object-specific mental factors; without them, no dharma could be accomplished. Take the mental factor of desire, for example: as long as sentient beings seek or wish for something—whether it concerns transcendental dharmas or worldly dharmas—that is a form of desire. These desires can induce the attention, contact, feeling, perception, and volition of the eight consciousnesses. Once the volition mental factor appears, what is desired and wished for will arise, grow, and perish. Among these, the desires that arise quickly and perish quickly, easily influenced and conditioned by the environment, are the desires of the mind consciousness; whereas the deep-level desires, longings, hopes, and wishes that the mind consciousness cannot control or grasp, which are deeply rooted, are the desires of the manas. The five consciousnesses also have their own desires—the desire to have more contact with and pay more attention to the five sense-object realms, also called craving, longing, or seeking—but this is merely the mental activity of the five consciousnesses after they have discriminated the currently present five sense objects; when not confronted with the current five sense objects, there is no desire, and they will not think of discriminating other five sense-object realms; their mental activity is very simple.

For example, wishing to be reborn in the land of bliss (sukhāvatī) is a kind of desire; there is the desire of the mind consciousness and also the desire of the manas. The desire of the manas is called deep faith and earnest vow. If there is no deep faith and earnest vow of the manas, and only the mind consciousness wishes to be reborn there, then there is no sincerity, and one cannot evoke a response from the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions to come and receive one, nor can one evoke one's own tathāgatagarbha's blessing and cooperation; therefore one cannot attain rebirth. Because whether one is reborn or not is decided by the manas: if the manas does not desire rebirth and remains attached to the Saha world, one cannot be reborn in the land of bliss.

Wishing to become a Buddha, wishing to investigate Chan—there is the desire of the mind consciousness and also the desire of the manas. Without the manas's desire, the six consciousnesses simply cannot muster diligence; matters such as investigating Chan, studying the Dharma, and becoming a Buddha cannot be accomplished. In worldly affairs, wanting promotion and wealth, wanting to accomplish some enterprise—there is the desire of the consciousness and also the desire of the manas. If the manas has no desire, if there is something it does not want to do, then no matter how much the consciousness desires, how much it wants to act, how much it longs, it is useless, because the consciousness cannot be the master; it must be the manas that decides.

Take the mental factor of determination (adhimokṣa), for example: there is the consciousness's determination, the manas's determination, and also the five consciousnesses' determination. Under ordinary circumstances, because the manas lacks sufficient wisdom to discriminate the six sense-object realms, it can hardly attain determination regarding them; it must rely on the six consciousnesses to discriminate the specifics of the six sense objects, and after the six consciousnesses have discriminated, they convey the information to the manas. If the manas cannot attain determination regarding the information conveyed by the six consciousnesses, then it cannot make quick decisions, cannot make correct and reasonable decisions, and the six consciousnesses will often do wrong things. If the manas attains determination regarding the discriminating information of the six consciousnesses, it can make decisions that are correct, reasonable, timely, quick, and accurate. If the manas cannot attain determination about something, it cannot make correct decisions, nor can it go along with the consciousness's decisions, because it cannot understand or attain determination regarding the six sense-object realms. If it cannot attain determination regarding the karmic seeds discriminated by the tathāgatagarbha, there will be no foreknowledge, no advance preparation to alert the consciousness.

The five consciousnesses can also have the power of determination regarding the realms each of them discriminates; only afterward can the wisdom of cognition arise, and only then is there the power of decision. If the five consciousnesses cannot attain determination, they cannot make decisions about realms, cannot grasp the five sense objects, and cannot act upon the five sense objects. In contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) for the eradication of the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and in investigating Chan, if the manas cannot attain determination regarding the principle that the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) are without self, cannot attain determination regarding the principle of prajñā, cannot attain determination regarding the dharma of the tathāgatagarbha, then one cannot eradicate the view of self, cannot see the mind and see the nature, cannot eradicate afflictions and attain liberation from birth-and-death, cannot transcend the three realms, and still less can one transform consciousness into wisdom and accomplish the Buddha Way.

Take the mental factor of mindfulness (smṛti), for example: everyone's mind is mindful of certain dharmas—some are mindful of worldly dharmas, some are mindful of the Buddha's teachings. Among these there is the mindfulness of the consciousness, the mindfulness of the manas, and also the mindfulness of the five consciousnesses, with the manas's mindfulness being primary. Once the manas is mindful, the myriad dharmas appear—like pulling one hair and moving a thousand pounds. If the manas does not stir a thought, the myriad dharmas remain silent and do not arise. The consciousness's mindfulness arises partly under the influence of sense realms, and even more under the direction and pulling of the manas, governed by the manas's mindfulness. The five consciousnesses' mindfulness is induced by the manas's mindfulness and is likewise governed by it. The mindfulness of the consciousness and the five consciousnesses arises and ceases, changing very rapidly, and is also quite superficial; the manas's mindfulness is often deep and long-lasting, able to continue thought after thought without pause, thought after thought without change—for example, missing a certain person, or being mindful of a certain matter or dharma—possibly rather stubborn.

Take the mental factor of concentration (samādhi), for example: one can be concentrated on the Buddha's teachings—investigating Chan, recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), sitting in meditation—or concentrated on worldly dharmas, doing scientific research or tackling some project, and so on. Here the concentration includes the consciousness's concentration, the manas's concentration, and also the five consciousnesses' concentration. When the consciousness has concentration, it can think and contemplate in fine detail, engage in contemplative practice, analyze, study, and infer carefully; but the consciousness's concentration is also the result of the manas's concentration, the result of the manas not grasping, not proliferating, not being scattered, and also the result of the manas's restraint and regulation.

The five consciousnesses' concentration is likewise the result of the manas's restraint and regulation. Only when the manas is concentrated on the five sense-object realms, wanting to discriminate them clearly, can the five consciousnesses be concentrated on the five sense-object realms and discriminate them clearly. If the manas cannot be concentrated on the Buddha's teachings, cannot be concentrated on scientific research and tackling problems, the consciousness cannot focus on the Dharma and research, and no results will emerge. Therefore the manas's concentration is the fundamental concentration, extremely important. Only after the manas's mind is concentrated can its deliberation (manasikāra/manana) be continuous, meticulous, and deep; only then can it probe the essence and truth of things, attain realization and gain wisdom, and even transform consciousness into wisdom.

As for the wisdom among the object-specific factors, there is the consciousness's wisdom, the manas's wisdom, and the five consciousnesses also have wisdom. The wisdom of the seven consciousnesses differs to some degree. The consciousness's wisdom arises easily, but true wisdom must also rely on considerable meditative concentration to be obtained. The five consciousnesses' wisdom is relatively simple: it can only discriminate the five sense-object realms clearly and has the function of knowing them as they really are—nothing more—but it too must rely on its own concentration to arise. The manas's wisdom can give rise to wisdom both in the Buddha's teachings and in worldly dharmas; for wisdom to be deep and penetrating, it must rely on profound meditative concentration; otherwise there can be no profound wisdom, no wisdom of suchness, and still less the transformation of consciousness into wisdom.

Therefore, the five object-specific mental factors are possessed by the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, and the five consciousnesses also have them; they are the key to accomplishing all dharmas, worldly and transcendental, and are extremely important mental factors. If the seven consciousnesses lacked the five object-specific mental factors, many dharmas could not manifest; not only could the endeavor of the Path not be accomplished, worldly dharmas could not be accomplished either.

2. The Five Object-Specific Mental Factors Cannot Manifest Universally

In cultivating concentration, if the manas is not subdued, the manas proliferates everywhere, the mind is scattered, and there is no concentration. Having the five object-specific mental factors represents powerful consciousness functioning and strong discriminative ability. When bodhisattvas on the bhūmis eradicate afflictions, and the manas and mind consciousness transform consciousness into wisdom, the mental factors transform: part of the afflictive mental factors is removed, and the eleven wholesome mental factors increase. The object-specific mental factors manifest one by one, separately; they do not manifest at all times. No matter when sentient beings cultivate to, the object-specific mental factors always manifest as object-specific—manifesting at particular times and in particular realms, unable to manifest universally at all times. But for the Buddhas and bodhisattvas at and above a certain ground, their determination, concentration, and wisdom manifest at all times and places.

If the object-specific mental factors manifested universally, the mind would be busy and chaotic—desires at all times, thoughts everywhere—and the mind could not be at peace, except for the concentration mental factor. The manas cannot always have desires, cannot always have thoughts; otherwise there would be no concentration. When the manas always has determination, that wisdom is extremely vast and subtle—roughly at the eighth ground and above—but ninth- and tenth-ground bodhisattvas still have delusion and ignorance not yet fully eradicated. The consciousness and the five consciousnesses also cannot always have the five object-specific factors, cannot always discriminate realms, cannot always have mindfulness, cannot always have desire; otherwise the mind would be tangled like hemp and the power of concentration would vanish. Nor can the deep concentration of the second dhyāna and above always be present; otherwise sentient beings in the desire realm could not live normally.

At the Buddha ground, all eight consciousnesses have twenty-one mental factors; the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna) has mental factors exactly identical to those of the mind consciousness, manas, and five consciousnesses—unimaginable. Ordinary beings' consciousness corresponds with the fifty-one mental factors, but not necessarily all fifty-one can manifest. Apart from the five universal mental factors, the other mental factors manifest intermittently, and some mental factors have no opportunity to manifest. Among the fifty-one mental factors, afflictive mental factors occupy the majority. If the mental factors do not change, this person has no real cultivation at all, and cultivation would be meaningless. Transforming consciousness into wisdom means the transformation of the consciousness-mind's mental factors: the unwholesome removed, the wholesome increased and strengthened. After cultivation achieves something, this is the result.

3. In Personal Realization, the Manas's Wisdom Arises First

What category of dharma does the content of the consciousness's thinking belong to? Where does it arise from? The dharmas the consciousness thinks about come from within the tathāgatagarbha; they are precisely proliferated by the manas, induced and brought forth by the manas's decision; therefore the manas contacts dharmas first and the consciousness contacts them afterward. Regarding determination of dharmas, the consciousness first attains determination, then transmits it to the manas; after the manas deliberates, it too attains determination regarding the dharmas the consciousness has determined. But to personally realize dharmas, one must be in concentration: the manas personally deliberates and investigates, and finally clearly realizes and gains wisdom. The consciousness participates simultaneously: at the moment of the manas's personal realization, the consciousness thinks about, organizes, and summarizes the entire realization process of the dharma, also understands its ins and outs, and gains the wisdom of realization. Therefore, when realization occurs in meditative concentration, the manas's wisdom mental factor arises first and the consciousness's wisdom mental factor arises afterward; true knowledge of certain dharmas always appears first as the manas's wisdom mental factor, then as the consciousness's wisdom mental factor.

If a person has meditative concentration, the consciousness can be concentrated on a single thought, observing a single sense object; in this way both the consciousness's and the manas's power of wisdom (prajñā-bala) can be very strong. If the manas is scattered and cannot be concentrated on the dharma, its power of determination is weak, it cannot give birth to wisdom, and cannot reach a correct and reasonable conclusion and decision. The manas's perception mental factor and volition mental factor are also conditions for the birth of wisdom.

After the consciousness contacts the mental sense-objects, the five universal and five object-specific mental factors begin to operate, and the wholesome and unwholesome mental factors may also operate. The consciousness's entire thinking process is the process of various mental factors operating; the manas's entire deliberation process is likewise the operation of all the mental factors. The content of the consciousness's thinking must undergo the manas's personal re-deliberation before a final conclusion can be reached; all conclusions must and inevitably are the manas's decisions. Decisions made by the consciousness must be approved by the manas before it is fully at ease and will not regret; if the manas, without having thought sufficiently, has no choice but to agree with the consciousness's conclusion, then the manas inevitably harbors doubt within, and may regret afterward.

4. The Manas Possesses the Five Object-Specific Mental Factors

That the six consciousnesses have mental activities of craving and aversion shows that the six consciousnesses have the desire mental factor; that the manas has mental activities of craving and aversion shows that the manas has the desire mental factor. The manas has the capacity of receiving toward the objects it attends to and can discriminate the discriminated content of other consciousnesses, and further coordinate with them, showing that the manas has the determination mental factor, and only then is wisdom born; without determination, wisdom is insufficient and correct decisions cannot be made. That the consciousness-mind can be mindful of dharmas shows there is the mindfulness mental factor; that the manas can be concentrated on dharmas, with the arising of discriminative wisdom, shows there is the concentration mental factor; that the manas has the wisdom of discrimination, with corresponding understanding and decision-making power, shows there is the wisdom mental factor.

5. The Concept of the Five Object-Specific Mental Factors

At the Buddha ground, all eight consciousnesses have twenty-one mental factors, and all are without self-nature. The desire mental factor means having a goal to achieve; this goal is not necessarily of self-nature, and also has a selfless aspect. The noble ones' desire mental factor is selfless, without selfishness or private desire; it is wholesome desire, generating various thoughts for the sake of sentient beings and for the sake of Buddhism, wanting to realize certain goals. Self-nature is manifested in view-delusions and thought-delusions, manifested in ignorance; when ignorance is fully eradicated, the seven consciousnesses are thoroughly without self.

The determination mental factor means having an understanding, comprehension, and clarity regarding the dharma one is confronted with. Only after clarity can one make choices and decisions, and act. The mindfulness mental factor means having thoughts and mental attention in the mind. Whether being mindful of dharmas one has experienced or mindful of dharmas one wants to know, it is all mindfulness, including the thought of investigating Chan, the thought of pondering the Dharma; only then can the thoughts and intentions be realized. The concentration mental factor has one meaning: having a decisive mind toward a dharma, being unwaveringly firm in that dharma; another meaning: being fixed on a certain dharma without moving, single-mindedly discriminating and acting. The wisdom mental factor means wise activity, wise discrimination, wise decision-making, wise focus, and so on; all consciousness-mind activities are of the nature of wisdom.

6. The Mind King and Mental Factors Each Have Their Own Modes of Operation

The mind king's mode of operation is manifested in the flowing and operation of consciousness seeds; the mental factors' modes of operation are manifested in the processes of discriminating, recognizing, and acting upon dharmas, such as the five universal mental factors and the five object-specific mental factors, and also manifested in mental activities, such as the wholesome mental factors, unwholesome mental factors, and the neutral/indeterminate (avyākṛta) mental factors. These mental factors are not carried along with the consciousness seeds and are not of one substance with them; each has its own mode of operation, yet they can merge together perfectly, cooperating seamlessly. In fact, the mind king's mode of operation is precisely the operation of the mental factors; the two are tightly bound together and cannot be separated.

Among the mental factors, the operation of the five universal and five object-specific mental factors is not easy to distinguish from the operation and flowing of consciousness seeds; the mental factors are easier to observe than the flowing of consciousness seeds; observing the flowing of consciousness seeds requires extremely deep meditative concentration and the wisdom of the seed-wisdom of Consciousness-only. The mental factors are constantly changing; they can not only increase and decrease but also become more perfected. The consciousness seeds' operation is sometimes concentrated, sometimes dispersed; where the consciousness seeds are dispersed in several places, the mental factors operate in several places. Therefore the mental factors operate following the flowing of the consciousness seeds and cannot operate independently.

For example, the concentration mental factor among the five object-specific factors: the mind king can settle into concentration, and meditative concentration appears; this concentration can be strengthened, and can also weaken and disappear. The concentration mental factor is constantly changing; the more concentrated the consciousness seeds, the stronger the concentration mental factor. These mental factors have a certain relationship with karmic seeds; they are bundled together with the seeds of past bodily, verbal, and mental actions; therefore the mental factors have a certain continuity across lives. For example, someone who cultivated meditative concentration in a past life, when cultivating concentration slightly in this life, finds the concentration mental factor easily appears.

Take the determination, mindfulness, and desire mental factors: each mental factor undergoes variation; the mental factors are not fixed—they can increase and decrease, and can also vary; they are also related to karmic seeds and karmic power, yet there are no separate karmic seeds for them. For example, the wisdom mental factor certainly increases or decreases continually with environmental conditioning; it is constantly varying. But the mind king's consciousness seeds do not vary; the seeds themselves are forever that pure; it is only that the flowing of the seeds differs in being concentrated or dispersed. When the seeds are concentrated, the power of concentration is good, the discriminative force is great, and the discriminative wisdom is deep.

7. The Scope of the Manas's Discrimination

The manas's scope of discrimination is extremely broad; it can discriminate all dharmas, whether or not these dharmas change. Some dharmas remain unchanged for a long time, and the manas can still discriminate them; small unchanging dharmas can also be discriminated. If there were dharmas the manas does not discriminate, the six consciousnesses could not arise to discriminate them in finer detail. Why insist that the manas only discriminates changing, major mental sense-objects? Unchanging mental sense-objects among the six sense objects can all be discriminated; otherwise the function of awareness would be lost and the six consciousnesses could not arise. The manas can also discriminate the faint sound of a mosquito; otherwise the ear consciousness and mind consciousness could not hear the mosquito's sound.

The manas discriminates not only dharmas within the supreme faculties (indriya) but also dharmas outside them. It can discriminate all six sense-object realms; otherwise the six consciousnesses could not arise. After discriminating form objects, if it wants to discriminate specifically what color and what thing it is, the eye consciousness and mind consciousness arise; after discriminating sound objects, if it wants to know what sound it is, the ear consciousness and mind consciousness arise to discriminate specifically; it is the same for the other form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas.

Even the coarse five sense objects can be discriminated. For example, if there is a profusion of colorful flowers before one, and the manas is interested in the purple flowers, it will cause the eye consciousness and mind consciousness to arise on the purple flowers and discriminate them with focus. The more interested the manas is, the longer the discrimination lasts and the more focused it is. That the eye consciousness and mind consciousness can focus on admiring violets for an hour or two shows the manas is very interested in the violets, continuously contacting them and continuously discriminating them; otherwise the eye consciousness and mind consciousness would disappear and no longer admire the violets. It is the same with the other sense objects.

When a large mass of colors appears, the manas selects the purple flowers for the six consciousnesses to admire with sustained focus, but upon seeing pink flowers, will not give them a second glance. Since the manas has such decision-making, it shows the manas knows the differences among the various colors. Then the manas can contact the entirety of the six sense objects and five sense objects, and has a certain power of determination regarding them. That it can make the six consciousnesses focus on admiring shows the manas has been continuously contacting; therefore the manas also has concentration. If the manas had no concentration and ran off to other sense-object realms, the six consciousnesses would immediately disappear from the original realm.

Searching among a large bunch of flowers for the violets one really likes shows the manas has desire, has the desire mental factor. If the manas did not want to see the violets, it would not give rise to the six consciousnesses to search for them. Where the manas does not reach, the six consciousnesses do not appear.

8. The Object-Specific Mental Factors Cannot Manifest at All Times and Places

The five object-specific mental factors of the seven consciousnesses include: the five mental factors of desire, determination, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. Because of ignorance, among these five mental factors, concentration, wisdom, and determination cannot manifest and operate at all times and places, but can only manifest and operate at particular times. Because of ignorance, the seven consciousnesses sometimes have no meditative concentration; because of ignorance, the seven consciousnesses sometimes have no wisdom; because of ignorance, the seven consciousnesses sometimes cannot attain determination regarding the meaning of the Dharma. If ignorance is eradicated and no longer obscures the seven consciousnesses, the seven consciousnesses would be in meditative concentration at all times and places—for example, bodhisattvas of the seventh and eighth grounds and above and all Buddhas are like this; having wisdom at all times and places, attaining determination of the Dharma's meaning at all times and places—for example, all Buddhas.

But the fundamental Buddha's true suchness, the undefiled consciousness (amala-vijñāna), is at all times and places in meditative concentration, always has great wisdom, and can attain determination of all dharmas, without ignorance. Sentient beings' eighth consciousness is also like this, but the content of its concentration, wisdom, and determination differs from that of the seven consciousnesses. The seven consciousnesses have concentration, wisdom, and determination regarding the four noble truths, whereas what the eighth consciousness attains determination of is not worldly dharmas; its concentration is not worldly concentration, and its wisdom even less is worldly wisdom.

9. The Manas's Mindfulness and Desire Mental Factors Prompt the Arising of the Eye Consciousness

Original text of the Zuochan Sanmei Jing (Sūtra on the Samādhi of Sitting Meditation):云何心。是心无常。从因缘生故。生灭不住。相似生故。但颠倒故。谓是为一。本无今有。已有还无。是故无常。观知心空。云何为空。从因缘生。有眼有色可见。忆念欲见。如是等和合。眼识生。

Explanation: What is the consciousness-mind? These consciousnesses are impermanent dharmas, born from various conditions. After arising, they constantly arise and cease, change, and do not abide. It seems that consciousnesses have arisen—these are the six consciousnesses. Because sentient beings' minds (the manas) are inverted, they take the six consciousnesses to be permanent and unchanging. In fact, these consciousnesses originally did not exist and only now have arisen; after arising they will again cease; therefore they are said to be impermanent.

Observing these minds, one knows they are all empty, produced by the combination of conditions. For example, the arising of the eye consciousness: one condition is having the eye faculty; one condition is having form objects visible; one condition is having recollection; one condition is having the desire to see. Only when these conditions combine can the eye consciousness arise. The arising of the mind consciousness is also like this.

Then a problem arises: 1. Which consciousness's recollection enables the eye consciousness to arise? 2. Which consciousness's desire to see forms enables the eye consciousness to arise? It is the manas's recollective nature and desire-to-see-forms nature that induces the eye consciousness to see forms; it is not that the consciousness's recollection and desire to see forms give rise to the eye consciousness, because at this time the consciousness has not yet appeared; even if there is a consciousness, the eye consciousness is not born because of the consciousness's recollection and desire to see forms. Therefore the manas must have the mindfulness mental factor, and must have the desire mental factor. The eye consciousness seeing forms is not driven by the consciousness; it must be driven by the manas. All dharmas arise driven by the manas. Therefore the manas must have recollective nature, mindfulness nature, and the desire mental factor; only thus can the myriad dharmas operate in the world.

10. The Manas Cannot Possibly Discriminate Only Major Mental Sense-Objects

Question: Someone says: "The mind being like the sharp edge of a sword, unable to cut itself—this refers to the seventh consciousness, the manas, also called the manas-vijñāna. The Buddha called this seventh consciousness the mind root (manas), because it is the motive force for the seeds of the mind consciousness to manifest from the eighth consciousness; the mind consciousness can manifest only by relying on the manas-vijñāna's attention, and after manifesting it operates entirely by relying on the manas-vijñāna's attention; therefore the manas-vijñāna is said to be the root of the mind consciousness. This manas's object-specific wisdom is extremely poor; it can only make extremely simple discriminations of the mental sense-objects upon the five sense objects—for example, whether there are major changes in the mental sense-objects upon the five sense objects. This seventh consciousness, unlike the aware mind consciousness, cannot nimbly operate the five object-specific mental factors; it lacks the mental factors of 'desire, determination, mindfulness, concentration,' and its function of the wisdom mental factor (object-specific wisdom) is also extremely poor; it can only make extremely simple discriminations of changes in the mental sense-objects.

'Thus, since it cannot even discriminate the five sense-object realms, and must summon the mind consciousness, and only by relying on the consciousness's object-specific wisdom can it deliberate in various ways about the various realms—how could it have the ability to introspect upon itself? How could it have the ability to ponder the various dharmas? How could it have the ability to correct its own mental activities and habits? Therefore, although this seventh consciousness is extremely nimble and can universally attend to all dharmas, and can further, relying on the consciousness's object-specific wisdom, be the master everywhere and at all times, and can deliberate and decide various mental activities, yet if separated from the consciousness's object-specific wisdom it can do nothing. Because of such a nature, the Buddha said the manas (the manas-vijñāna) is like the sharp edge of a sword (metaphorizing its nimble ability to universally attend to all dharmas; the consciousness, though having object-specific wisdom, cannot universally attend to all dharmas), yet cannot cut itself (metaphorizing that, lacking the "self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana)" of object-specific wisdom, it cannot correct its own wholesome and unwholesome mental activities); meaning that for this consciousness to "wish to change its defiled nature, to transform into a pure manas," it must rely on the consciousness's object-specific wisdom and thinking wisdom to be able to transform; it cannot eradicate its own corresponding afflictions by relying solely on its own functions. Therefore the Buddha said: the manas is like the edge of a sword, unable to cut itself.'"

Something always feels off about the passage above—could you analyze and explain it?

Answer: Saying the manas only discriminates major mental sense-objects contradicts the Buddha's statement that the manas silently encompasses all dharmas. Since the manas can universally attend to all dharmas, then any dharma whatsoever can be attended to; there is nothing it cannot attend to. Yet the passage above says the manas only attends to the mental sense-objects upon the five sense objects, and moreover only the major, changing ones—so many limitations. If the manas had so many dharmas it could not universally attend to, it would contradict the Buddha's principle that the manas universally attends to all dharmas and silently encompasses all dharmas.

For example, contemplating the sun: one can contemplate for an hour, or half a day or a whole day; the sun does not change much within an hour—why can the consciousness keep contemplating? Does the manas not attend to the sun that never changes? Whatever dharma the manas attends to, only then is the consciousness qualified to discriminate it; what the consciousness knows, what the six consciousnesses discriminate, are all dharmas the manas has attended to and decided to discriminate. How could the manas only attend to mental sense-objects that are upon the five sense objects, and moreover only major, changing ones? The Śūraṅgama Sūtra says the manas silently encompasses all dharmas. If the manas could not attend to the subtle, minute six sense-object realms, it would not be silently encompassing all dharmas, and then the six consciousnesses would never know the subtle, minute six sense-object realms.

If the manas had no desire and did not want to act, the six consciousnesses would not be generated, and the myriad dharmas would not appear. That the eye consciousness, among a large mass of colors, selects only purple is decided by the manas; this shows the manas also attends to the five sense-object realms, and only then can it be the master and let the six consciousnesses discriminate that five-sense-object realm. If the manas did not attend to or contact the five sense-object realms, the five consciousnesses would not arise to discriminate them, and there would be no decision-making regarding the five sense objects. If there were dharmas the manas could not attend to, the manas would not be universally attending to all dharmas.

If the manas could not attain determination and were always muddled, it could not be the master, could not do things that are correct, reasonable, truthful, and in accord with the Dharma, could not avoid danger, and could not transform consciousness into wisdom. If the manas had no mindfulness, it could not let the consciousness come out to be mindful; no dharma could appear; one could not be mindful of the Buddha, would not want to investigate Chan, and the myriad dharmas would not appear. If the manas could not deliberate, the consciousness's conditioning of the manas would be meaningless, and still less could consciousness be transformed into wisdom; no wisdom would ever appear. If the manas had no concentration, no matter how the six consciousnesses cultivated concentration, they could not become concentrated.

If the manas could not correct wholesome and unwholesome mental activities, then the mental activities could never change; the unwholesome would forever be unwholesome—how could afflictions be subdued and eradicated? The consciousness's conditioning of the manas would have no effect whatsoever, its efforts wasted in vain. The passage above says the manas has no power of introspection (pratyavekṣā-bala) and no self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana), yet the Buddha said all eight consciousnesses have self-validating cognition. That sentient beings trust themselves so much, being extremely stubborn, is precisely the manas's self-validating cognition in operation. Being stubborn to the death, firmly convinced without doubt—this is the manas's self-validating cognition; he simply believes he is right.

The manas has the function of constant, scrutinizing deliberation; all dharmas must pass His review and approval before they can be adopted and decisions made. If the manas's wisdom were always so poor, how could it review and approve reasonably, how could it make wise decisions? If it could not make wise decisions, sentient beings' bodily, verbal, and mental actions would everywhere and always display foolishness and lack of wisdom—how could there be intelligent people in the world? How could studying Buddhism open wisdom and attain Buddhahood? Moreover, if the manas is to deliberate, it should deliberate by relying on its own inherent wisdom—how could it deliberate by relying on the consciousness's object-specific wisdom? This claim is too strange; it is like saying A's thinking of problems must rely on B's wisdom, borrowing B's brain—this does not conform to logic in the slightest. The passage above has too many errors; when there is time later, they will be analyzed in detail.

11. Only with the Wonderful Observing Wisdom Can One Observe the Manas's Five Object-Specific Mental Factors

The mental factors and operations of the seventh consciousness cannot be observed through contemplative practice by one who lacks the wonderful observing wisdom (pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna). Who has this wonderful observing wisdom? Only bodhisattvas on the bhūmis who have already transformed consciousness into wisdom have this subtle observing wisdom, able to observe in direct perception the manas's operations and the running of its mental factors. Because the multitude cannot observe this, they say the seventh consciousness's five object-specific mental factors include only a weak discriminative wisdom—just like when we ordinary people have not yet seen the mind, the consciousness's objects of attention are limited and it cannot observe the eighth consciousness's operations, so they deny the existence of the eighth consciousness, saying the eighth consciousness is merely a provisional name without substance, not a real mind-entity.

The consciousness originally has this observing ability; it is merely obscured by its own ignorance. And the manas originally has the five object-specific mental factors; it is only because sentient beings' minds are defiled that these mental factors are obscured by their own obstruction of afflictions (kleśāvaraṇa) and thus cannot be observed. Our eighth consciousness originally perfectly illuminates all dharmas; it is only because our ignorance obscures it that we cannot observe its radiance. We and the Buddha are originally no different; it is only because of ignorance that the eighth consciousness's radiance is obscured and cannot be fully and completely revealed.

All dharmas are originally complete in themselves, not born later, requiring no later new learning; one need only remove defilement and remove ignorance, and all radiance will manifest. Therefore nothing is attained in any dharma: one's own inherent family treasures are not obtained from outside; the treasure in the house is not obtained from another—it is merely sought out and dug out through skillful means. The Buddhas and bodhisattvas likewise merely sought out and dug out the treasures in their own houses through skillful means, thereby attaining great wealth and great freedom.