The Simultaneous Discernment of Holistic Dharma by Manas

The integral dharmas are the combination of the five dusts and the dharma dust; the absence of any one renders it incomplete as a dharma.

Since the manas is the sovereign consciousness, determining the arising, cessation, and transformation of the six consciousnesses, it can perceive the five dusts—not merely the dharma dust. It can roughly perceive the composite objects formed by the combination of the five dusts and the dharma dust. Thus, the manas enables the birth of all six consciousnesses to collectively perceive any kind of dust-object. Regarding the composite objects of the six dusts, the manas’ perception may have a focal point. For example, when perceiving a flower, it may focus on discerning its colors rather than its shape or length. At this time, under the direction of the manas, the eye consciousness will seek the colors favored by the manas, and the mental consciousness will simultaneously join in seeking the related dharma dust associated with those colors.

What the manas first contacts and perceives is the complete dust-object, not the five dusts and the dharma dust as separate objects. Therefore, do not claim that the manas perceives only the dharma dust and not the five dusts. If that were so, by what means would the five consciousnesses arise to perceive the five dusts? Who would guide and direct them?

The manas perceives the integral dust-object, which includes both the five dusts and the dharma dust upon them. It does not perceive the five dusts separately or the dharma dust alone. Therefore, when the six consciousnesses arise, the five consciousnesses and the mental consciousness must all arise simultaneously to perceive the dust-object together; they cannot function separately. The manas perceives roughly, not meticulously; the five consciousnesses perceive meticulously, and the mental consciousness perceives even more meticulously.

Apart from being unable to perceive the fundamental objects that initially appear, the manas can perceive all objects of the six dusts, both within and beyond the subtle sense bases. The six consciousnesses can perceive only the objects of the six dusts within the subtle sense bases. Those with supernatural powers have a broader scope of perception by the mental consciousness, enabling them to perceive dust-objects beyond the subtle sense bases.