Is Manas Solely Associated with Neutral Feeling, Absent of Painful and Pleasurable Feelings?

If the mind consciousness (manas) were characterized by equanimity (upekkhā) like the tathāgatagarbha, it should likewise remain unmoved by all phenomena, neither grasping at pleasant states nor rejecting unpleasant ones, without discriminating between good and evil in any circumstance. Consequently, it would not prompt the six consciousnesses to engage in actions driven by greed, hatred, or delusion arising from attraction or aversion, nor act impulsively. When encountering situations, it would not fly into a rage or resort to violence, nor display excessive joy through animated expressions or gestures. Instead, it would maintain a state of equanimity, remaining indifferent to all things.

If the mind consciousness were perpetually indifferent and characterized by equanimity regardless of circumstances, it would never assume control or impel the six consciousnesses to create karmic actions rooted in greed or hatred. It would not give rise to thoughts and emotions such as joy, delight, or craving, nor to those of anger, jealousy, or resentment. In that case, the mind consciousness would possess impartiality, treating all phenomena equally without deviation, regarding friends and foes alike with perfect fairness. It would neither rejoice in the Pure Land nor despise the defiled Saha world; neither delight in becoming a Buddha or patriarch nor seek liberation from the three realms through nirvana.

If the mind consciousness were characterized by equanimity, it should inherently be liberated like the tathāgatagarbha, unbound by wholesome or unwholesome states, unaffected by any phenomenon. This would constitute a liberated mind. Yet, the actual situation is not so. The mind consciousness is heavily burdened with greed, hatred, and delusion: its grasping nature is inescapable, its anger beyond self-redemption, tightly bound by the phenomena of the three realms—especially the three lower realms—unable to break free. Therefore, the mind consciousness is not solely characterized by equanimity; it experiences all three types of vedanā (feeling), with equanimity being the least frequent.

Regarding certain matters, the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) may strive earnestly to endure, yet ultimately fails to contain itself, resulting in an eruption of emotion. This loss of control—what type of vedanā is this? Whose vedanā is it? It is the vedanā of pleasure and pain, specifically that of the mind consciousness. At such moments, the mental consciousness remains rational, continuously suppressing and restraining the mind consciousness, urging it to endure and refrain from outbursts. Nevertheless, the mind consciousness ultimately proves unable to endure and erupts nonetheless. If the mind consciousness were characterized by equanimity at this point, there would be no need for the mental consciousness to restrain or suppress it; the matter would pass with equanimity—without emotional turmoil, extreme reactions, or unthinkable consequences.

On many occasions, inexplicable emotional states arise—whether joy or displeasure—without the mental consciousness understanding why or whence these feelings emerge. Sometimes, the mental consciousness may ponder the cause, yet remain utterly perplexed despite its efforts, for the mind consciousness is truly inscrutable.