The Difference in Preferences Between Mind Consciousness and Manas

Liking something in the mind can be roughly divided into two levels, or two degrees: the shallow one is the mind consciousness's liking, and the deep one is the manas's liking. The liking over which one cannot exercise control is the mind consciousness's liking; whereas when one likes something and schemes by every means to obtain it, and takes action to get it, that is the manas's liking. Addiction and fascination, being unable to stop thinking about something moment after moment—all of these are the manas's liking. For example, in a family, it is the parents who have the final say. When it comes to liking something, there is the child's liking and there is the parents' liking. But no matter what the child likes, the child cannot make the decision; only with the parents' consent can there be a way to obtain what is liked, whereas whatever the parents like, they will find a way to obtain. The child is analogous to the mind consciousness, and the parents are analogous to the manas.

If the mind consciousness's liking influences the manas, and the manas also likes it, or the manas agrees with the mind consciousness's liking, the manas will decide to obtain what is liked and will grasp at it. The mind consciousness's liking is influenced on the one hand by the manas, and on the other hand by the environmental objects of the six sense objects (ṣaḍ-viṣaya). The manas's liking comes on the one hand from afflictive habitual tendencies accumulated over beginningless kalpas, and on the other hand from the perfuming (vāsanā) by the mind consciousness. If the mind consciousness's liking does not influence the manas, the manas will simply ignore it; the mind consciousness likes it in vain and cannot obtain it. For example, liking to study the Dharma: the mind consciousness likes it first, and the manas likes it afterward. If the mind consciousness likes to study the Dharma but the manas does not, there will be no diligence. If the manas also likes to study the Dharma, one will pursue it tirelessly and cultivate and study with diligence. What can be persisted in for a long time without being given up is all the manas's liking; what is on-and-off means the manas is not very interested—it is being led and controlled by the mind consciousness, but when the manas cannot be controlled, the manas runs off.