The Various Thoughts and Emotions of Manas Are Manifested Through the Six Consciousnesses

Currently, many people in society suffer from a depressive psychological state, with even middle school students exhibiting depression. This issue is largely attributable to karmic retribution, while a smaller portion stems from individual karmic conditions. The primary symptoms of depression include emotional withdrawal, lack of communication with others, difficulty expressing inner thoughts, and a persistently gloomy, uncheerful mood. Regarding this psychological state, the conscious mind (vijnana) is often inexplicably unaware of why one feels so downcast; this is caused by the obstruction of the mental faculty (manas).

Because the mental faculty (manas) cannot vent its thoughts and emotions, and because no one understands its ideas and perspectives—or it even lacks the knowledge of how to seek someone to confide in or ask for help—consequently, no one can provide guidance. Simultaneously, being unable to communicate with one's own conscious mind (vijnana), and the conscious mind failing to comprehend, prevents resolution of the issue, leading the mental faculty (manas) to develop depression. For many people, the root cause is karmic retribution—the karmic consequences arising from events experienced and actions committed by the mental faculty (manas) in past lives.

As for individual karmic conditions, when one has unfulfilled desires, depression can arise; when the environment fails to satisfy one's psychological needs, depression sets in. A common characteristic of depressed individuals is that they think much but act little, leading to unrealized ideas and unmet psychological needs. When too many thoughts accumulate, they form a burden, and depression emerges. Depression is also called being "depressed and disheartened"—having various desires yet being unable to satisfy them, resulting in low mood, oppression, and gloom.

Some people may experience feelings of being "at a loss" (六神无主) or not wanting to live; this too is dominated by the emotions of the mental faculty (manas), with the conscious mind (vijnana) manifesting precisely the mental activities of the manas. "Six deities having no master" (六神无主) means the six consciousnesses (vijnanas) do not know what to do or how to act, because the mental faculty (manas) cannot make up its mind, hesitates, and refuses to make decisions or issue commands, causing the six consciousnesses to become agitated and unsettled. The expression and reaction of the six consciousnesses to the thoughts and emotions of the mental faculty (manas) manifest as the confusion of the six consciousnesses—having no core guidance, no sense of belonging—thus leading to feelings of meaninglessness and an unwillingness to live.

When emotionally agitated, the heart beats faster; this too is caused by the emotions of the mental faculty (manas). For instance, the saying "anger rises from the heart, malice emerges by the gall" (怒从心头起，恶向胆边生) describes the manifestation of the manas' anger leading to malice. The heart, gall, and all internal organs are mobilized by the mental faculty (manas) through the brain's nervous system; the entire physical body is directed by the manas via the brain's nervous system. The manas can control the entire body and guide its activities. When the conscious mind (vijnana) is angry but the mental faculty (manas) is not, it is false anger—no matter how angry one appears, there is no internal reaction, no behavioral response, or if there is behavior, it is merely a pretense. When there is true anger or rage, behavioral actions occur and physical/mental states change—this is the emotion of the mental faculty (manas).