What Is the Nature of Manas?

Jinghe's Experiential Account: One day, I was sitting in a chair listening to the Great Compassion Mantra with headphones on. As I listened, I fell asleep... without dreaming. At that moment, "before my eyes" (though it wasn't actually before my eyes, as there was no sense of direction, though I wasn't aware of this "lack of direction" at the time; it felt like being in the vast universe) within a field of darkness, there seemed to be a slight movement. A sense of curiosity arose, wanting to understand the cause. Then, this movement transformed into a point of bright light. "I" (there was no concept of "I" at that moment) continued to move towards the bright light.

Just as "I" made contact with the bright light, consciousness arose. I understood that the "movement" was actually the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra coming through the headphones. (At this moment, I suddenly realized: something had entered the brain from the body, and the five sense faculties began to function.) Then, recalling the state before consciousness arose, it was like being an unknowing child or a small animal. A slight movement would entice and I would follow without any capacity for reflection.

Commentary: The "before the eyes" during sleep is not the physical eyes, but an object relative to the manas (mental faculty). At this time, even if the eye-consciousness and mental consciousness do not cease, they are extremely subtle. Without a sense of direction (before/after), the manas cannot clearly know its object, hence the feeling of a boundless expanse. The arising of curiosity and the movement towards the bright light is precisely the manas seeking to engage with an object. However, it does not know "I want to engage with an object"; its self-perception is weak. When it encounters the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra, it cannot clearly discern it, only perceiving a bright light. Because the Great Compassion Mantra possesses blessing power, it appears like a bright light.

Just as the manas encounters the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra and begins to perceive the bright light, a subtle mental consciousness arises. The mental consciousness discerns that this is the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra. When the mental consciousness discerns the sound, the manas has already sensed the bright light (the sound) entering the brain. The mental consciousness instantly understands, and at this moment, the five sense consciousnesses manifest, leading to much greater clarity. After becoming clear-headed, the mental consciousness recalls the preceding process. It perceives the manas as being like a child—lacking stability, curiously following whatever movement arises, very simple, naive, and also very alert, drawn to whatever arises. Of course, the recollection by the mental consciousness is also the manas wanting to understand what just happened, causing the mental consciousness to recall. Recalling events before the mental consciousness arose relies on the manas providing the scene and material; only then can the mental consciousness (which is us) understand what exactly happened.

This passage accurately describes the mentality of the manas: simple, primitive, naive, lacking self-control, requiring the care and restraint of the mental consciousness, needing the mental consciousness to urge and guide it. Carefully contemplate this truthful description of the manas, savor the characteristics of the manas, and deepen your understanding of its intrinsic nature.