The Alerting Role of Manas toward Consciousness

Question: Once, while I was digging for Artemisia capillaris beside a graveyard, I constantly felt as if someone was behind me, but in reality, there was no one around. Is this a sensation of the manas (mind faculty) or a sensation of the manovijñāna (consciousness)? Was there actually someone there, or was it an illusion?

Answer: The feeling that someone is present is a sensation of the manovijñāna. This sensation is transmitted to the manovijñāna by the manas. The manovijñāna does not perceive anyone behind you, but the manas can perceive it. Because the manas cannot process this matter, it causes the manovijñāna to have a feeling so that it may be handled later. If the manovijñāna does not understand at this point, it cannot process it. If the manovijñāna realizes that there might be a ghost behind you, it will make a decision to leave or not leave. Those with great courage (referring to the manas) will not leave, while those with lesser courage will leave. Of course, this courage pertains to the manas, and the final decision to leave is still made by the manas.

The manas can perceive people and events unseen by the manovijñāna, including sentient beings in the subtle realm (yin jie), but the manovijñāna does not know. If the manas wants the manovijñāna to know, the manovijñāna will become suspicious and have a feeling. If the manovijñāna possesses wisdom, it will reasonably analyze, contemplate, and deduce, and thus come to know what is happening.