A Brief Discussion on the Nature of Consciousness (74)

8. The knowing of the five sense consciousnesses has no names and marks, while the knowing of the mind consciousness has names and marks. For example, when the eye consciousness knows sunlight and knows it is glaring, there is no name-and-mark of "sunlight," no verbal designation, no name-and-mark of "glaring," no verbal designation of "glaring." Only when the mind consciousness, together with the eye consciousness, discerns the sunlight does the mind consciousness know that it is sunlight, and know that the sunlight is glaring. However, closing the eyes to avoid the sunlight is a decision of the manas; the eye consciousness and mind consciousness merely execute it rapidly and unconsciously. Why can the manas make decisions so quickly? Because the discernments of the sunlight made by the eye consciousness and mind consciousness in an instant are all transmitted to the manas, and the manas can know them in an instant—and knowing them correctly, it can then make correct and reasonable decisions so as to seek benefit and avoid harm. If the material form discerned by the eye consciousness and mind consciousness is unfamiliar to the manas, the manas cannot make its decision so quickly, because the manas may not necessarily be able to properly understand the material form transmitted to it; it must deliberate (manasikāra) and examine it, and only after deliberating until it understands does it make a decision. There are also times when the manas deliberates without understanding; then it cannot truly understand the material form transmitted to it, and if it is forced to make a decision, it will make a wrong decision. Therefore, whether the manas's decisions are fast or slow, correct and reasonable or not, also depends on the manas's experience and wisdom.