The Meaning of Manas Silently Encompassing All Dharmas

Silent means being quiet, soundless, covert, and unobtrusive. This is the characteristic of manas (the seventh consciousness); manas operates in this silent, unknown, soundless, quiet, and covert manner.

Accommodating means permitting, coexisting, together, containing, and tolerating. This indicates that manas accommodates all things, permits the existence of all dharmas, coexists with all dharmas, operates alongside them, and tolerates and endures the manifestation of all dharmas.

This also signifies that wherever all dharmas exist, manas is present; manas perpetually operates alongside all dharmas. Consciousness (the sixth consciousness) does not silently accommodate all dharmas and cannot coexist and operate together with all. Therefore, the arising and functioning of many dharmas are unrelated to consciousness, not directed or controlled by it; consciousness lacks the authority to control the arising of all dharmas. Only the eighth consciousness and manas perpetually coexist with all dharmas and operate together. However, the eighth consciousness lacks the mental activity and characteristic of directing and controlling; it possesses no autonomy. Thus, this proves that only manas holds the authority to control and exercise autonomy over all. Consequently, its self-centered nature is profound, and thus the karmic burden of birth and death is heavy.