Mental Factors of the Mind base\: A Practical Compass (Second Edition) (with over 30,000 additional words, reorganized)
Section Three: The Mental Factor of Vedanā (Feeling)
I. When the Manas Eradicates Vedanā, Saṃjñā, Craving, and Attachment, It Enters the Attainment of Cessation
Original text from the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 18: What is meant by non-clinging and non-dwelling? It refers to the eternal exhaustion of all craving, detachment from desire, the quiescent nirvāṇa, and the nirodha-samāpatti (attainment of cessation). Why is this so? "Clinging" refers to the entanglements of afflictions. "Dwelling" refers to the dormant defilements. Where both are absent, it is said to be non-clinging and non-dwelling. This describes nirvāṇa as non-clinging and non-dwelling. Furthermore, saṃjñā (perception) is called clinging; vedanā (feeling) is called dwelling. If in a state both are absent, it is said to be non-clinging and non-dwelling. This demonstrates the non-clinging and non-dwelling in the nirodha-samāpatti where saṃjñā and vedanā cease. In the present context, the nirodha-samāpatti is what is intended.
Explanation: What is meant by neither clinging nor dwelling? It means that all craving of the manas is eternally severed, one departs from all desires for the threefold world, the mind attains quiescence, enters the state of nirvāṇa, or realizes the nirodha-samāpatti. Why is this said? Because "clinging" means the manas is bound by various afflictions; one whose mind is not bound by afflictions does not cling to dharmas. "Dwelling" means there are dormant afflictions in the mind, hence the mind dwells on dharmas. If afflictions and dormant afflictions are completely severed, it is said to be neither clinging nor dwelling. This is the meaning of nirvāṇa being non-clinging and non-dwelling. Displaying the state of non-clinging and non-dwelling within the nirodha-samāpatti in this way demonstrates that this person has attained the nirodha-samāpatti.
When the six consciousnesses cease, and the manas further extinguishes the states of the two mental factors vedanā and saṃjñā, this is the nirodha-samāpatti. Vedanā means dwelling on dharmas; accepting the objects of dharmas is called dwelling. Saṃjñā means clinging; cognizing and grasping is called saṃjñā. Clinging means being bound by afflictions; when the manas severs afflictions, it does not cling. Severing afflictions is called the eternal exhaustion of all craving; the eternal exhaustion of all craving is detachment from desire. When the manas is detached from desire, all craving is eternally exhausted, and it no longer clings. When the manas is detached from desire, without clinging or dwelling, it enters the nirvāṇa without residue. Sentient beings do not realize the nirvāṇa without residue because the manas has clinging, craving, desire, dwelling, feeling dharmas, perceiving dharmas, being bound by afflictions, and the mind is not tranquil. Displaying the state where the manas within the nirodha-samāpatti has no clinging and no dwelling in this way is the nirodha-samāpatti.
When the manas does not cling to form objects nor dwell on form objects, the eye consciousness and mental consciousness do not arise. When the manas does not cling to sound objects nor dwell on sound objects, the ear consciousness and mental consciousness do not arise. When the manas does not cling to smell objects nor dwell on smell objects, the nose consciousness and mental consciousness do not arise. When the manas does not cling to taste objects nor dwell on taste objects, the tongue consciousness and mental consciousness do not arise. When the manas does not cling to touch objects nor dwell on touch objects, the body consciousness and mental consciousness do not arise. When the manas does not cling to mental objects, the independent mental consciousness does not arise. The manas has no vedanā and no saṃjñā regarding the six sense objects; it extinguishes the feelings and the nature of cognition, having no desire to cognize the six sense objects, and thus abides in the nirodha-samāpatti.
The reasoning here is very rigorous and flawless. Bodhisattva Maitreya clearly states: Sentient beings' manas has desire and craving, meaning it has clinging and dwelling, and thus cannot attain the nirodha-samāpatti nor enter the state of nirvāṇa to attain liberation. If the manas of sentient beings is detached from desire and craving, it can then attain the nirodha-samāpatti and also attain nirvāṇa, which is called liberation.
Detachment from desire means departing from all greed for the dharmas of the threefold world, thus enabling departure from the three realms. Detachment from hatred means eliminating the manifest affliction of hatred; one must eliminate not only the hatred of the mental consciousness but even more so the hatred of the manas. Bodhisattva Maitreya said that greed, hatred, and delusion are the firm afflictions of sentient beings. "Firm" means they are difficult to eradicate and uproot; the afflictions are very deep. This does not merely refer to the greed, hatred, and delusion of the mental consciousness, but primarily to those of the manas. The greed, hatred, and delusion of the mental consciousness are easy to subdue and eliminate; the mental consciousness is intelligent and wise, and can transform upon learning the Dharma. The manas is not intelligent; it is not easy for it to understand and comprehend the Dharma; it cannot contemplate, hence it is difficult to transform, and the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion are deeply rooted and hard to uproot.
II. Evidence that the Manas Has Three Types of Vedanā (Part 1)
Both the sixth and seventh consciousnesses have vedanā regarding their respective objects. The first five consciousnesses also have vedanā regarding the objects of the five senses. This vedanā is often non-emotional, relatively pure sensation, a simple reception of the objects of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The vedanā of the mental consciousness is initially a simple reception and acceptance. After cognizing, it becomes emotional vedanā; joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are all expressed, and mental activities are numerous and complex.
The manas also has vedanā. The contents cognized by the six consciousnesses are all transmitted to the manas. The manas receives the detailed information transmitted by the six consciousnesses and thus has its own feelings. The manas also relies on the eighth consciousness to perceive the images of all dharmas cognized by the eighth consciousness; it can cognize all dharmas, hence it has various types of vedanā that the mental consciousness does not possess, and vedanā that is not cognized by the mental consciousness. For example, when the manas, relying on the eighth consciousness, cognizes that oneself or a loved one is about to have an accident, the mind becomes anxious, fearful, worried, apprehensive, frightened, and uneasy, experiencing various kinds of suffering (duḥkha-vedanā). Consequently, it prompts the six consciousnesses to engage in some irrational, inexplicable actions, and the mental consciousness also displays emotions like fear and anxiety without knowing why. If the manas cognizes that a joyful event will occur soon, the mind will experience pleasant feelings like joy and happiness, and the mental consciousness will have inexplicable happiness, manifesting pleasant vedanā (sukha-vedanā).
The vedanā of the manas arising from the cognized situations provided by the six consciousnesses: For instance, if one experiences an event during the day and reflects on it carefully at night when free, the mental consciousness realizes it was not as it appeared on the surface. Then, the more the mental consciousness thinks about it, the angrier it becomes. At this time, when the manas knows about it, it also becomes angry, manifesting as discomfort in the heart, an increasingly unpleasant facial expression, or making a new decision.
Some say that the vedanā of the manas is purely neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā), without suffering or pleasure. However, if the manas had only neutral feeling without suffering or pleasure, it should be like the eighth consciousness, tolerant of all dharmas, neither interested in nor avoiding and rejecting all dharmas, not driving the body and mind to create emotional behaviors like joy, sorrow, anger, or happiness, nor exhibiting excessive behaviors and emotions. It should maintain a state where the body and mind are plain, calm, peaceful, and steady. It is evident that the manas is not like this, especially for those who have not subdued afflictions and lack cultivation; they are severely emotional, and often the mental consciousness does not know why this is so. Those who are melancholic like Lin Daiyu or as irritable as an asura are the result of the manas having suffering vedanā that it cannot endure. When the habits (vāsanā) of the manas are too strong, the mental consciousness finds it difficult to control the emergence of these emotions. This shows that the manas does not have only neutral feeling; due to suffering vedanā, the manas has corresponding afflictions; due to pleasant vedanā, it also has corresponding afflictions.
III. Evidence that the Manas Has Three Types of Vedanā (Part 2)
What are the manifestations of the seventh consciousness when facing the objects of the six senses? Grasping, craving, aversion, hatred, etc. From the manifestations of the seventh consciousness facing the objects of the six senses, it is clear that the manas often does not have neutral feeling; its emotions are intense and abnormal, and the mind is agitated like a monkey. Why is this so? The seventh consciousness knows good and evil, right and wrong, gains and losses to oneself, benefit and harm. The seventh consciousness has the notion of "I" and inevitably views things from the standpoint of "I." It inevitably protects its own interests, inevitably has emotional thoughts of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, and is unsettled when facing objects, which means it is not neutral feeling. If it were neutral feeling, the mental state would be peaceful, mental activities would be non-active, and whatever the object, it would be acceptable, indifferent.
Being confined in the mother's womb for a long time without being born is considered a karmic retribution of suffering. The Buddha's son, Rāhula, was in his mother's womb for six years before birth because in a past life he had blocked a mouse hole for six days, causing the mouse to suffocate to death in the hole. Consequently, he received the karmic retribution of being confined in the womb for six years. While in the womb, initially there is no mental consciousness, only the manas and the tathāgatagarbha. Since confinement in the womb is a karmic retribution, the manas must be capable of bearing this retribution.
When undergoing karmic retribution in the womb, the mental consciousness has not yet arisen. What does the manas feel? If the manas felt comfortable or felt nothing, it would not be called karmic retribution of suffering. States like coma or being a vegetative person are all karmic retributions of suffering. At such times, there are no six consciousnesses; only the manas suffers the karmic retribution. Therefore, the manas cannot be experiencing pleasant vedanā or neutral vedanā; otherwise, it would not be called karmic retribution of suffering. In the antarābhava (intermediate state), the path ahead is uncertain; generally, it is suffering vedanā. Because the manas dislikes suffering vedanā, it urgently seeks rebirth to avoid it. At this time, the manas cannot be experiencing pleasant vedanā or neutral vedanā. What does the manas feel after falling asleep? Who can know? What does the manas feel just after waking up? Who can know? What does the manas feel when encountering various events? Who can know? These dharmas are very profound and subtle; if the mental consciousness lacks sufficient meditative concentration and wisdom, it cannot directly observe them.
IV. Evidence that the Manas Has Three Types of Vedanā (Part 3)
If the manas were like the tathāgatagarbha, having only neutral feeling, it should also be like the tathāgatagarbha, unmoved by any object, sitting firmly like a golden lotus unaffected by the eight winds. It would not grasp at pleasant objects nor reject unpleasant objects; it would not discriminate between good and evil, beautiful and ugly objects, nor would it prompt the six consciousnesses to create actions of liking and disliking driven by greed, hatred, and delusion, let alone act impulsively. When encountering events, it would not fly into a rage, strike out, nor show joy on the face or dance for joy. It should always be indifferent, unconcerned about everything.
If the manas were indifferent to any situation, always in neutral feeling, then it would have no afflictions. There would be no need to subdue the afflictions of one's own mind through contemplation; it would always be pure, never leading the six consciousnesses to create karmic actions of greed and hatred, nor manifesting thoughts and emotions like joy, delight, craving, etc., or thoughts and emotions like anger, jealousy, resentment, etc. Then the manas would have equanimity; its mind should be equal towards all objects, without deviation, treating friends and enemies equally, without distinction, fairly and justly. It would neither rejoice in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss nor loathe the impure Sahā world. It would neither like becoming a Buddha or patriarch nor dislike entering nirvāṇa to leave the three realms.
If the manas had neutral feeling, it itself should be liberated like the tathāgatagarbha; neither wholesome nor unwholesome objects could bind it; it would not accept any object. This would be a liberated mind. However, the actual situation is not like this. The manas is heavily afflicted with greed, hatred, and delusion; its greedy mind cannot extricate itself, its hatred cannot save itself; it is tightly bound by the dharmas of the three realms, especially the three evil destinies, and cannot escape. Therefore, it is said that the manas does not have only neutral feeling; it has all three vedanās. The time when it has neutral feeling, having abandoned suffering and pleasant vedanā, is very difficult and rare to attain.
Often, there is inexplicable emotionality; whether happy or unhappy, the mental consciousness does not know why, where the happiness or unhappiness comes from. The mental consciousness sometimes tries to figure out the reason, sometimes cannot figure it out no matter how hard it tries, because the manas is truly elusive. When happy to the point of showing joy on the face, the mental consciousness says, "I shouldn't let others see that I'm happy," yet one still cannot help but feel excited. Who is so happy and joyful that the mental consciousness cannot restrain it? It is the pleasant vedanā of the manas. The mental consciousness sometimes finds it hard to control, and the manas itself cannot control its emotions. When happy to the point of showing joy on the face, the mental consciousness says, "I shouldn't let others see that I'm happy,"
For example, regarding some matters, the mental consciousness really wants to endure, but ultimately cannot help but erupt with emotion, unable to control it. This is the result of the manas feeling the suffering vedanā of depression, frustration, and anger. Sometimes, regarding some matters, one is extremely frightened. The mental consciousness advises itself: "Don't be afraid, it's no big deal, nothing will happen." Yet one remains terrified. Who is this uncontrollable fear? The fear of the manas is not easy to control; at this time, the manas is experiencing suffering vedanā.
V. Evidence that the Manas Has Three Types of Vedanā (Part 4)
The manas does not have only neutral feeling; it also has suffering and pleasant vedanā. Because the manas has ignorance and afflictions, and wholesome and unwholesome mental factors, it must have suffering and pleasant vedanā. Due to suffering and pleasant vedanā, greed and hatred afflictions arise. If the manas had only neutral feeling, it would be unmoved even when beaten, scolded, bullied, or humiliated. Although the mental consciousness might feel uncomfortable, it would pass quickly, and there would be no retaliatory actions. This is the good cultivation and virtue of great practitioners; ordinary people simply do not possess this. If the manas had only neutral feeling, it would be unmoved even when praised to the skies; it would remain unmoved in the face of power, sex, fame, and profit, would not pursue power, sex, fame, and profit, and would be indifferent to wealth and honor. Although the mental consciousness might like these, it would merely like them a little and not act upon them. This is the virtue and cultivation of great practitioners; ordinary people would never be like this.
Because the manas' reception of the objects of the six senses often relies on the six consciousnesses, and the six consciousnesses have clear cognitive functions regarding objects, their vedanā is also obvious and direct. In contrast, the vedanā of the manas appears more indirect and obscure, not easily detected by the mental consciousness. Therefore, it is said that the manas has no vedanā. Regarding the vedanā on the physical body, it is directly received by the mental consciousness and the body consciousness. Pain and comfort on the physical body are directly felt by the body consciousness and mental consciousness. When the six consciousnesses are absent, the painful and pleasant tactile sensations on the physical body are not felt by the mental consciousness and body consciousness. But does the manas have sensations at this time? The manas certainly has sensations. Therefore, during coma or after falling asleep, the manas will arouse the six consciousnesses to cognize and find ways to deal with problems on the physical body. Even if it does not arouse the six consciousnesses to regain consciousness, during coma and sleep, the facial expressions and body postures of the physical body indicate that the manas has sensations.
Sentient beings take the vedanā of the six consciousnesses as vedanā; the vedanā of the manas is not experienced. When the mental consciousness lacks sufficient wisdom and does not have the wisdom of the path (mārga-jñāna), it cannot observe that the manas has vedanā. Therefore, it is not surprising that many people say the manas has no vedanā, but this is not correct reasoning. The five universal mental factors (sarvatraga) are attention (manaskāra), contact (sparśa), vedanā, saṃjñā, and volition (cetanā). The manas also has the five universal mental factors; therefore, the manas must have vedanā.
VI. Evidence that the Manas Has Three Types of Vedanā (Part 5)
A mind with neutral feeling dwells on nothing and clings to nothing regarding all pleasant and unpleasant objects; it is equal and uniform towards all objects, neither rejoicing nor loathing, neither greedy nor hateful. Such a mind is a liberated mind, a tranquil mind, a non-active mind. The eighth consciousness is like this: dwelling on nothing, clinging to nothing, not hating, not rejoicing, equal and uniform, unmoved by all objects, completely in neutral feeling. If the manas had neutral feeling, it would be like the tathāgatagarbha, equal and uniform towards all dharmas, unmoved by all objects, not hating, not rejoicing, without greed, hatred, or delusion, tranquil and liberated. In that case, sentient beings would not need to practice to seek liberation. Therefore, it is said that the manas does not have only neutral feeling; it also has suffering and pleasant vedanā. The manas can receive wholesome and unwholesome imprints and create wholesome and unwholesome karma; therefore, it is not in neutral feeling. Sentient beings have various greed and hatred afflictions, indicating that the manas is not in neutral feeling. The eighth consciousness never gives rise to greed or hatred towards any dharma; this is the mind with neutral feeling.
The Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 63, states that the manas possesses all three vedanās: "Moreover, the transformative consciousnesses (pravṛtti-vijñāna) at one time all function only in association with pleasant feeling. At another time, they also have suffering feeling. At yet another time, they also have neither-suffering-nor-pleasant feeling, functioning in association. The feeling associated with the ālayavijñāna is always only neither-suffering-nor-pleasant at all times." This passage discusses the vedanā of the eight consciousnesses. Only the ālayavijñāna has neutral feeling. The other transformative consciousnesses all have three types of vedanā. The "transformative consciousnesses" here refer to the seven transformative consciousnesses. It states that the seven transformative consciousnesses are sometimes associated with pleasant feeling, sometimes with suffering feeling, and sometimes with neither-suffering-nor-pleasant feeling.
The more cultivated one is, the less emotional one becomes, and the more one is associated with neutral feeling. The last of the seven factors of enlightenment (sapta-bodhyaṅga) is upekṣā (equanimity). The mental state is very peaceful, without fluctuations; one remains calm when encountering any object, like still water. Here there is the neutral feeling of the mental consciousness and also the neutral feeling of the manas. If the manas did not have neutral feeling, the mental consciousness could not have neutral feeling. After the manas transforms consciousness into wisdom (vijñāna → jñāna), it is still not always in neutral feeling at all times; there are still times of emotionality, though less frequent and milder than before. Because Arhats have eliminated self-view (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and removed the afflictions of greed, hatred, and delusion, their minds are very often calm, but they are still not always in neutral feeling at all times; they also have suffering and pleasant vedanā. After the mental consciousness eliminates afflictions and transforms consciousness into wisdom, neutral feeling increases, emotionality decreases, and suffering and pleasant vedanā decrease. No matter how much suffering, Arhats generally do not feel it as suffering; no matter how much pleasure, they do not feel it as pleasure, because they have no craving.
However, the manas of Arhats still has suffering and pleasant vedanā; otherwise, they would not avoid the suffering of the Sahā world, choose the nirvāṇa without residue, and choose to leave suffering and attain happiness. If the manas of Arhats did not feel the suffering of the five aggregates world, they would not abandon the body, extinguish consciousness, and enter nirvāṇa without regard for anything, extinguishing suffering to seek coolness and happiness. The Four Noble Truths of suffering, origin, cessation, and path cultivated by the Śrāvakas: after the mental consciousness completes the cultivation, it influences the manas, and together they realize the Four Noble Truths. Therefore, like the mental consciousness, the manas must also know suffering, eradicate its origin, aspire to cessation, and cultivate the path. Ultimately, the manas will know suffering, eradicate its origin, and hope to extinguish itself through cultivating the path. From this, it can be seen that the manas knows suffering; because it has suffering vedanā in its mind, it can resolutely eradicate the origin.
Only with profound meditative concentration (dhyāna) and contemplating the Dharma can one contemplate the true reality, and then true wisdom will arise. Only then can one truly rely on the Dharma, not on certain authorities or famous people. Without meditative concentration, one cannot contemplate; one often relies on people and cannot rely on the Dharma. Reciting others' words is relying on people, while relying on the Dharma means relying on the true reality. The true reality needs to be contemplated and realized within meditative concentration; it is absolutely not about reciting famous sayings or quotations like a repeater. Nowadays, the internet is full of repeaters, and each person is complacent, thinking how knowledgeable they are, how much they know, how rich their knowledge is, almost overflowing with learning. But no matter how much learning one has, it has nothing to do with life and death. Knowledge cannot liberate one from birth and death because knowledge is the dharma of arising and ceasing.
VII. The Neutral Feeling of the Manas
Neutral feeling is the vedanā that does not feel suffering or pleasure. Saying the manas has neutral feeling also has some basis. The manas has neutral feeling regarding bodily contact; it does not directly experience the objects of the six senses. No matter how much pain the physical body experiences, the manas does not feel the pain; it is the body consciousness and mental consciousness that feel the pain. When the body consciousness and mental consciousness are absent, the physical body does not feel pain. For example, during surgery, if the body consciousness and mental consciousness are present, the person is conscious and will feel intense pain. To eliminate the pain sensation, anesthesia is administered to first extinguish the body consciousness, then the mental consciousness, so that when the body is cut, it does not feel pain.
When there is a toothache, after falling asleep, the six consciousnesses cease and one does not feel the pain, but the tooth inflammation still exists; upon waking, the pain resumes, and sometimes one can be woken up by the pain at night. Why can one be woken up by pain in the middle of the night? Because the manas can perceive the pain on the body. During coma, although the body is in a bad state, one does not feel pain; upon waking, the pain becomes unbearable. When undergoing retribution in hell, one faints from the pain and no longer feels it, but karmic forces do not allow the sinner to remain unconscious; when the karmic wind blows, one regains consciousness and continues to undergo retribution. In meditative concentration, the pain sensation also lessens or disappears because the six consciousnesses are either absent or weakened at that time.
Therefore, the pain sensation is the vedanā jointly experienced by the body consciousness and mental consciousness. The manas does not have such vedanā; even if it does, the mental consciousness does not know and cannot observe it. Sentient beings take the vedanā of the six consciousnesses as vedanā. When the six consciousnesses cease or are weakened, regardless of what the manas feels or its mental state, the mental consciousness does not know. Not knowing, it assumes the manas has no feelings, no mental activities, or that the manas is very simple and has shallow wisdom.
When the functional role of the manas becomes strong and replaces the six consciousnesses, all vedanā belongs to the manas. But at this time, the meditative concentration and wisdom cultivation of the manas are already very superior; it is almost entirely in neutral feeling, with no emotional fluctuations. The manas of ordinary sentient beings still has suffering and pleasant vedanā, not just neutral feeling. It has psychological sensations similar to those of the mental consciousness: feeling wronged, suppressed, bored, resentful, joyful, happy, excited, with large emotional fluctuations. This is why emotions like raging anger, dancing for joy, and showing joy on the face appear.
VIII. All Mental Activities in the Five Aggregates Body When the Six Consciousnesses Are Absent Are the Mental Activities of the Manas
In the middle of the night, after falling asleep, a cold tactile sensation appears on the body. Then the body consciousness and mental consciousness arise to solve the problem of cold. In the middle of the night, after falling asleep, a painful tactile sensation appears on the body. Then the body consciousness and mental consciousness arise to feel the pain and deal with it. If the manas knows it is cold, hot, or painful, why does the mental consciousness still need to arise? Because after the manas knows there is a problem, it cannot personally handle or solve it; problems of the five aggregates body require the six consciousnesses to deal with them. In the absence of the six consciousnesses, all mental activities appearing in the five aggregates body are the mental activities of the manas. When the six consciousnesses are very weak, those mental activities are also almost entirely those of the manas. Observing the state of a vegetative person: Does a vegetative person feel pain? Does it want to be a vegetative person? Does it want to continue lying in bed? When eating, does it want to eat? What are its reactions upon seeing loved ones? These can all indicate the mental activities and vedanā of the manas.
During coma, whether the manas wants to be in a coma, what its manifestations are—from these manifestations, one can observe the mental activities of the manas. If during coma the manas were in neutral feeling, then it should be like the tathāgatagarbha, indifferent, and just remain in coma. However, as soon as the body recovers a little, the manas will prompt the six consciousnesses to appear and prompt the functions of the five aggregates to manifest. This shows that the manas does not want to be in a coma; it is unwilling to be in a coma. Why is it unwilling, reluctant, and dislikes being in a coma? First, it feels uncomfortable during coma; second, without the activities of the five aggregates, it feels bored, and boredom is also suffering vedanā. If it felt comfortable during coma, the manas would certainly maintain the comatose state; third, the manas fears death. When one is unwilling to emerge from meditative concentration during sitting meditation, does it mean the manas feels comfortable? Of course, if the mental consciousness is relatively clear and also feels comfortable in concentration, it will cling to sitting meditation and be unwilling to rise.
