Distinguishing Mind Consciousness and Manas

In fact, many people are able to observe their own manas; they simply do not know that that mind, that function, is the manas. Because they cannot distinguish between the mind consciousness and the manas, they blend the mind consciousness and the manas into a single whole "self," turning it into one's own mind observing its own various conditions.

For example, when the mind consciousness observes its own capabilities and feelings, within them there are the capabilities and feelings of the mind consciousness as well as the capabilities and feelings of the manas, yet all of them are taken to be the capabilities and feelings of the mind consciousness. Take another example: the mind consciousness observes whether it can accept a certain viewpoint or opinion. After observing, it discovers that it very much wants to accept it and is willing to accept it, yet deep down it still cannot accept it. The willingness to accept is the mind consciousness; the inability to accept is the manas. But one does not know that it is the manas that is unwilling, and instead thinks it is the so-called "self" that is unwilling. If the mind consciousness discovers that it has changed its cognition and views, it is the manas that has changed its views and cognition, yet the mind consciousness still believes that it is the thinking self, not knowing it is the manas.

There are very many such examples, showing that the mind consciousness is indeed able to observe the manas; it is just that the mind consciousness and the manas cannot be distinguished and are usually mixed together. If one says that the manas is involved in these functions, most people would object, saying: "No, that is the mind consciousness." This precisely shows that most people have confused the manas with the mind consciousness, unable to tell which is which—because afflictions create obstruction, wisdom is insufficient, and they have not transformed consciousness into wisdom.