The Mental Factors of the Manas (II)

The mind consciousness conveys its intention to study Buddhism and to be diligent to the manas, and conveys its understanding of the Buddha-dharma to the manas. Only when the manas fully understands and has determination (adhimokṣa) regarding these can it agree with the mind consciousness's ideas and the content of its deliberation, make a decision, give rise to a diligent mind, and diligently cultivate practice. The reason the mind consciousness can successfully permeate the manas is precisely that the manas has come to understand, with determination, the content of the mind consciousness's deliberation and discernment, and has understood its choices and judgments; only then can the manas make its choices accordingly.

If the manas cannot comprehend, with determination, the content of the mind consciousness's mental factor of deliberation (cetanā) and its analysis and judgment, it cannot agree with any choice made by the mind consciousness, and the mind consciousness cannot permeate the manas. Then the manas can never be permeated and thus change itself, removing afflictions and ignorance. When the eighth consciousness manifests karmic seeds and karmic conditions appear, if the manas lacks the power of determination regarding them, it cannot immediately take action and make responsive reactions. When a car comes driving toward one, if the manas has no determination regarding this matter, it will not know there is danger, and thus cannot decide to dodge immediately; sentient beings would never be able to avoid danger and would never live out their natural lifespan.

Animals' manas also has the power of determination, which is why they have intuitive reactions, and their intuition is even sharper than that of humans. When a disaster is about to occur soon and karmic conditions manifest, the manas comprehends their significance, knowing they could bring harm to itself, and so the manas decides to flee; the animals then display various abnormal reactions. Animals' mind consciousnesses can also observe; they simply cannot speak or express themselves. When the mind consciousness reaches a conclusion through observation, the manas can comprehend and grasp it, and then takes corresponding action. Animals can understand each other's thoughts; they engage in cooperative actions, sometimes coordinated very harmoniously. These cooperative actions are initiated by the choices of the manas, so animals' manas can comprehend each other's mental states, gazes and expressions, and body language—of course this comprehension is achieved through the analysis and judgment of their mind consciousnesses, from which they make choices and reactions.