The Straying at the Arising of Thought

Guai means to depart from, to violate, or to not be. When thoughts arise, this thought-generating mind is not the fundamental mind of the eighth consciousness. For the eighth consciousness never generates thoughts—especially thoughts related to mundane dharmas within the three realms, such as those involving language, writing, sound, or mental activity; the eighth consciousness does not manifest these. Only the delusive mind produces thoughts. Because the mental faculty (manas) ceaselessly clings to worldly dharmas, with incessant preoccupations, the consciousness must continuously give rise to various thoughts and ideas, which arise and cease, intermittent and fragmented, elusive yet persistent. Thus, for those lacking the Wisdom of Consciousness-Only, all observable thoughts are products of the delusive mind. The mind that generates thoughts is always the delusive mind, not the fundamental mind of the eighth consciousness.