The Manas as the Present Consciousness

The present consciousness is the consciousness of direct perception, meaning the way of seeing through direct perception, the way of recognizing through direct perception, or the way of presenting through direct perception. Although the manas, like the Tathāgatagarbha, possesses the function of manifesting dharmas like a mirror, the images manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha are images it itself gives birth to, whereas the images manifested by the manas are the images presented and transformed by the Tathāgatagarbha; the manas does not transform images. The relationship between the Tathāgatagarbha as a mirror and the images is that of that which gives birth and that which is born. That which gives birth must be a dharma that is neither born nor extinguished, while that which is born is subject to birth, extinction, and change. However, the relationship between the manas and the images is not one of giving birth and being born; both are dharmas that are born. Moreover, there is an essential distinction between the images manifested by the manas and those manifested by the Tathāgatagarbha. The Tathāgatagarbha manifests the reality with substance (本质境), which is the most primordial dharma transformed and created by the Tathāgatagarbha itself. The images manifested by the manas are appearances with substance (带质境), which are the secondary transformation of dharmas by the Tathāgatagarbha and are no longer real.

Why is it said that the manas is the consciousness of direct perception? Because when the manas perceives dharmas, it perceives dharmas that exist in the present moment; it perceives dharmas as they truly are. It lacks the functions of inference (比量) and erroneous perception (非量). The very first instant the Tathāgatagarbha manifests a dharma, the manas can perceive it. This is the appearance with substance, which is close to the reality with substance and is relatively true and reliable. After the manas perceives the appearance with substance, if it wishes to discern it in further detail, it then transmits the dharma to the six consciousnesses for perception. What the six consciousnesses then perceive is no longer the relatively true appearance with substance; they perceive dharmas that have already undergone transformation. The dharmas thus manifested are one layer further removed from the reality with substance and the true reality, making them more illusory than the dharmas perceived by the manas. Moreover, the perception of the mental consciousness (意识) also involves inference and erroneous perception, so the dharmas it manifests are even more unreal.

If we compare it to the meaning of the present consciousness, the Tathāgatagarbha’s perception of dharmas is even more direct perception, far more true and reliable than that perceived by the manas. Whatever dharmas the Tathāgatagarbha perceives are dharmas it itself has presently given birth to and upholds. There is not the slightest obstruction between it and the dharmas. It gives birth to whatever dharma it perceives and upholds whatever dharma it perceives. If it does not give birth, it does not perceive; if it does not uphold, it does not perceive. There is absolutely no occurrence of inference or erroneous perception. For the Tathāgatagarbha, there are fundamentally no past dharmas nor future dharmas; all are dharmas of the present moment. Even dharmas from countless kalpas ago are dharmas of the present moment. However, for the six consciousnesses, they are not dharmas of the present moment. In fact, the six consciousnesses cannot perceive dharmas of the present moment; whatever dharmas they perceive are already transformed dharmas; they are all past dharmas.