The Distinction Between Manas and the Activities of Vijnana

The Distinction Between Manas and Mental Consciousness Activities

If the manas is stirred, there will be various physical reactions, such as blushing, a racing heart, shyness, or bulging veins, trembling, and so on. When mental consciousness alone is stirred, the body shows little to no reaction and remains relatively calm. Those who only speak without acting are merely stirred by mental consciousness, while their manas remains unmoved. Hypocrites speak with mental consciousness but have no intention to act with manas, hence they do not act. Habitual deceivers perform with mental consciousness while their manas remains entirely unmoved. Therefore, to observe a person’s character, one must examine their actions rather than solely their words, as actions are more substantial than speech.

Manas activity consumes a certain amount of energy, whereas mental consciousness activity may not necessarily consume energy or consumes relatively little. If mental consciousness activity consumes energy, it still involves the entire body, as energy flows throughout all parts of the body. The whole body utilizes the same energy, which is undivided. However, those who tend to engage in mental contemplation first deplete the energy in the brain. Only when brain energy is insufficient do they draw energy from the rest of the body. The brain affects the entire body; when the brain is fatigued, the whole body becomes weary and requires rest.

In mental consciousness activity, manas activity is not entirely absent; it is always involved to some extent, thus requiring energy consumption. The greater the involvement, the more energy is consumed. If I do not engage deeply in contemplation and merely engage in superficial mental activities calmly throughout the day and night, I feel neither tired nor particularly hungry. If I contemplate deeply, I quickly feel fatigued and easily become hungry. Hence, I prefer not to engage with people or affairs, avoid mental exertion, and refrain from pondering unimportant matters unless they are meaningful and significant.

When deeply investigating Chan (Zen), considerable energy is consumed. When cultivating concentration without contemplation, little energy is consumed, and the body instead feels comfortable and relaxed. Cultivating concentration without contemplation is relatively effortless, while contemplative practice may strain the mind. When thinking with mental consciousness, due to shallow and minimal mental engagement, it is faster and easier, allowing for superficial, fluid, and eloquent expression. However, the content remains shallow, reflecting one’s knowledge and memory recall, rarely demonstrating wisdom. When contemplating with manas, due to deep mental engagement, cognitive processes are slower and more mentally taxing, but the content is profound and meaningful, reflecting a person’s deep-seated wisdom.

To illustrate the difference between using mental consciousness and manas with a metaphor: imagine walking on muddy ground. If the mud is shallow, merely covering the soles of the shoes, walking remains quick and effortless. If the mud reaches the ankles, calves, or knees, extracting one’s feet becomes difficult; each step is laborious, and walking becomes very slow. Thinking with mental consciousness is like walking on shallow mud, while contemplating with manas is like walking on deep mud. Thus, those who contemplate with manas, if consistently operating at a deep level of manas with focused attention, will experience slow transitions between thoughts or shifts in focus. Each shift consumes more energy and feels somewhat taxing, leading them to prefer tranquility and avoid disturbances from external people or events.