The Meaning of the Manas Not Corresponding to Words and Language

Question: Since the manas does not correspond to language and words, how does the manas come to know the meaning of language and words? 

Answer: The statement that the manas does not correspond to words and language means that the manas cannot use words and language to express its own thoughts and views; it does not mean that it does not understand words and language. Since He is the master consciousness that oversees the whole situation, He has the authority to direct and mobilize the six consciousnesses. He cannot speak or express Himself in words, but He can let the mind consciousness speak and let the mind consciousness express things in words. Many things He cannot do Himself can be accomplished with the assistance of the six consciousnesses. For example, a president's energy is limited and he cannot be in two places at once; he can only oversee the overall affairs of the nation and cannot carry out specific tasks such as market research and statistical analysis, but he can appoint subordinates to complete these tasks. Likewise, the manas oversees the whole situation and cannot personally attend to specific matters; He can only use the consciousness accompanied by the five senses (pañca-sahagata-mano-vijñāna) and the solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta) to handle specific trivial affairs, and the manas simply listens to the reports. In the process of listening to the reports, He uses the mental factor of deliberation (manasikāra), the mental factor of wisdom (prajñā), and the mental factor of determination (adhimokṣa) to make judgments and decisions, and then issues commands, letting the six consciousnesses solve problems according to the instructions. 

The manas is like a mute person who, though unable to speak, can understand what people say. The eighth consciousness is the same: although He cannot speak and is not versed in language and words, He has His own unique mode of discernment, discerning unique information, which differs from the seventh consciousness, and the manas in turn differs from the mind consciousness. The deliberation of the manas is no worse than the deliberation of the mind consciousness. If a president were to free up time and energy to specifically conduct market research, he might do it even better than his subordinates—it is only that he has no time. If the manas were to take the place of the six consciousnesses, He might well surpass them; it is only that His present energy is insufficient. That is precisely why one must cultivate meditative concentration (samādhi), cultivate it, and cultivate it again—to free up time and energy for the manas, focusing, focusing, and focusing again; only thus can great wisdom well forth. 

If you regard the manas as a consciousness, or as a person, you can understand the nature and mental factors of the manas. The mind consciousness and the six consciousnesses are there to do work on behalf of the manas. If the manas has sufficient wisdom, whatever the six consciousnesses do will be perfectly clear to Him; if His wisdom is insufficient and the power of determination (adhimokṣa) is not strong, there will be misunderstandings, or He will be unable to understand what the six consciousnesses are doing, unclear about their actions. If the mind consciousness cannot express itself, or expresses itself unclearly, the manas will be unable to fully comprehend it, not understanding the mind consciousness's intentions.