The Two Klesha Mental Factors of Manas

The mental factors of defilement associated with the Manas are of two kinds. One kind constantly accompanies the Manas in its manifesting activities, without even momentary interruption; examples include the self-view, self-conceit, self-love, and ignorance (self-delusion) mentioned in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra. The other kind does not constantly accompany the Manas in its manifesting activities; this refers to mental factors other than the aforementioned four defilements, such as the major, medium, and minor derivative afflictions like hatred, anger, and resentment. If these afflictions were to manifest constantly, the body and mind of sentient beings, both their own and others', would be severely harmed, their lives would become chaotic, and their lifespan would not be long. Only the self-view, self-love, self-clinging, and self-conceit are the constantly manifesting afflictions of ordinary sentient beings.

All people, when encountering profound Dharma, are unable to directly observe and practice it; they can only superficially understand a little of its meaning, thus they can only engage in rote recitation. The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination reveal that the reason sentient beings undergo continuous birth and death within the six realms is due to the ignorance of the Manas. If the Manas were without ignorance, the Twelve Links would cease, the afflictions of sentient beings would be exhausted, and they would be liberated from birth and death. Ignorance conditions volitional formations; volitional formations condition consciousness. Fully understanding these seven words will clarify whether the Manas truly possesses hatred or not. If there is no hatred within the ignorance of the Manas, it would not prompt the six consciousnesses to create karmic actions of hatred, thereby reducing karmic actions leading to birth and death by nearly half. Hatred within the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) is inconsequential because the mental consciousness cannot determine the creation of karmic actions of hatred; thus, there would be no seeds of hatred-karma and no karmic actions of hatred leading to birth and death.

Furthermore, where does the hatred of the mental consciousness come from? How does it arise? Many people are unable to directly observe whether the Manas has hatred, cannot clearly articulate the logical dialectical relationship between the Manas and the mental consciousness, do not understand the origin of the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses, and can only engage in rote recitation, believing their shallow understanding to be correct. As stated in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, at the very beginning of a sentient being's life, there is only the Manas and the ālaya-vijñāna (storehouse consciousness). Only after the Manas gives rise to thoughts do the heavens, earth, all things, the five aggregates, and the six consciousnesses come into existence. If the Manas has no hatred, where does the hatred of the mental consciousness come from? How do karmic actions of hatred appear? Why do sentient beings fight and contend with each other? How does this arise?

The afflictions of the mental consciousness are easy to subdue and eliminate. Merely understanding the theory and comprehending it clearly allows for effective control of afflictions. However, because the Manas does not sever afflictions, when encountering fundamental problems, the moment the mental consciousness becomes negligent, afflictions immediately reappear, and the person reveals their true nature. For example, in dreams, or after becoming intoxicated, when the mental consciousness weakens and rationality diminishes, all the afflictions of the Manas manifest completely. Could the hatred and hateful actions after intoxication be attributed to the mental consciousness? Why is it easier to create unwholesome karma after drinking? Why does one's true nature reveal itself after drinking? Why does one's character show after drinking?

Subduing afflictions refers to eliminating the afflictions of the mental consciousness, but this is only temporary, not permanent. If the afflictions of the Manas are not severed, the afflictions eliminated by the mental consciousness will re-arise when conditions are sufficient, fundamentally uncontrollable. Therefore, the affliction of hatred is only completely severed at the third fruition (anāgāmin), indicating that the Manas only severs the affliction of hatred at the third fruition. The hatred affliction of the mental consciousness can be eliminated during the stage when an ordinary person (pṛthagjana) understands the principle, but this is not ultimate; encountering special conditions, the mental consciousness can still manifest hatred. For instance, some people have gentle personalities and exceptionally good tempers; normally, they never give rise to hatred under any circumstances—this is a case of the mental consciousness being free from hatred. However, once encountering special circumstances that touch their bottom line, such a person might still potentially commit murder; this is the hatred of the Manas manifesting.