The Five Aggregates and Six Consciousnesses as Tools of Manas

Repentance is divided into true repentance and false repentance, as actions of body, speech, and mind each possess both genuine and false aspects. Anything false is not sincerely intended nor arises from the heart; it is merely superficial affectation of the conscious mind. Anything genuine and sincere arises from within the heart and stems from the volition of the manas (root consciousness).

Therefore, true repentance is the manas's sincere repentance emanating from the heart outward—it is not pretense. When the manas desires repentance, it must express this intention through the conscious mind, the five sensory consciousnesses, and the five aggregates body. Separated from the five aggregates body, the conscious mind, and the five sensory consciousnesses, the manas lacks tools; it cannot function or fulfill its wishes. In this sense, the manas is incapable of action without the conscious mind. Nevertheless, the manas absolutely possesses its own innate wisdom and cognition—the inherent intelligence often spoken of refers to the manas, which it brings from past lives and countless eons into the present existence.

This wisdom does not require teaching by the conscious mind; it is innate. The manas possesses much wisdom that the conscious mind lacks; there are many dharmas the conscious mind does not comprehend, yet the manas understands them all. Moreover, the conscious mind relies on the manas for influence through habitual permeation. When the conscious mind cannot analyze, ponder, or judge matters of people, events, or principles, it depends on the intuitive function of the manas for judgment and decision-making. Thus, many actions are completed with the conscious mind still unaware of what transpired, accomplishing things in a muddled state—sometimes even quite skillfully.

Frequently, after actions of body, speech, and mind are completed, the conscious mind remains entirely ignorant of the process; it fundamentally lacks understanding and cannot analyze, ponder, or judge. Therefore, such actions are entirely directed and dominated by the manas itself. Even afterward, the conscious mind remains unaware and uncomprehending. Where is there any trace of the conscious mind's wisdom participating in this?

The five aggregates body, the conscious mind, and the five sensory consciousnesses are all tools employed by the manas. Separated from these tools, none of the manas's intentions within the six dusts (sensory fields) can be realized. The manas must utilize the six consciousnesses to generate karmic actions of body, speech, and mind, expressing its thoughts and intentions. Otherwise, it would be like a deaf-mute or disabled person—utterly incapable of action. This demonstrates that the manas itself possesses its own unique perceptions, views, wisdom, and cognition. It does not require the conscious mind; these are innate. When the conscious mind is present, it can rely on it for expression; without the conscious mind, expression is impossible. Therefore, we must not attribute the wisdom of the manas or all its merits to the conscious mind, thereby obscuring the manas's innate, unique capabilities cultivated over countless lifetimes and eons. Such attribution is unjust and reflects the lack of wisdom common among worldly people.

In many critical situations—especially matters of life and death, survival or peril—where does the conscious mind find the opportunity or capacity to ponder, analyze, consider, or judge? Yet the manas takes charge, makes decisions, implements emergency measures, averting disaster after disaster, calamity after calamity, ultimately turning misfortune into blessing. Afterward, the conscious mind still does not grasp what truly happened.

Each and every sentient being should truly be grateful for the manas's ability to turn misfortune into blessing. Without this innate wisdom and discernment of the manas, our lives would end in premature death shortly after birth, never reaching old age.

In judging worldly people, especially those met for the first time and still unknown, the conscious mind often proves ineffective. Reliance falls instead on the manas's accumulated experiences over countless eons—this is intuition, this is wisdom.