The Purposeful Nature of Manas in Action

For those who have not learned Buddhism, all their actions are driven by purpose. Even for those who have learned Buddhism but have not yet attained the non-action of the mind, their actions are mostly purposeful as well. To which mind does this purposefulness belong? Sentient beings act driven by desires; their minds are filled with purposefulness. Those who act without desire or seeking, following conditions and acting spontaneously, are as rare as phoenix feathers.

The purposefulness and desires before an action is taken belong to the manas (mind root). Sometimes, the desires and purposefulness of the manas arise from the instigation and instruction of the consciousness. It is because the manas has desires that it drives the six consciousnesses to create physical, verbal, and mental actions according to its desires. During their operation, the six consciousnesses each also have their own desires, which in turn influence and transform the manas, causing it to extinguish its original desires or generate new ones.

Unless one is a bodhisattva with a vast mind, or a bodhisattva whose mind is partially or entirely in a state of non-action, if someone claims to act completely without desire or seeking, it is best not to believe them. When such a person approaches to interact with you, they surely already have some request or purpose; the only question is whether this purpose is righteous or evil, good or bad.

If the manas has no purpose, it rests and does nothing. Even the Buddha's manas possesses purposefulness—it is for the liberation of sentient beings. The Buddha came to the Saha World precisely with purposefulness; why would the Buddha come otherwise? Some people have purposes without realizing it, without detecting them, or deliberately avoiding detection. If the conscious mind is not subtle, it cannot perceive the hidden desires and purposes of the manas.