Why does the manas not correspond with language, written words, and sounds?

Language, written words, and sounds—the operation of these dharmas cannot be separated from the body faculty and body consciousness; they are produced through the joint operation of body consciousness and mind consciousness, and are the functional activity of the mental consciousness accompanying the five sense consciousnesses (pañcavijñāna-sahagata-manovijñāna). When language and sounds arise, it begins with the manas generating an intention, wanting to express its own views and thoughts. When the manas stirs a thought, brainwaves fluctuate, and the intent is conveyed through the central nervous system to the system—or the region—corresponding to the body faculty. Then wind, or a stream of air, arises at the dantian; this stream of air surges upward, all the way to the tongue faculty, and a stream of sound flows out, thus forming language and sound.

Therefore, speaking requires physical energy; when energy is insufficient, the voice is faint, or no sound can be produced at all. Language and sound are produced through the joint and harmonious operation of mind consciousness and body consciousness, requiring the cooperation of the body faculty; at this time the tongue belongs to the body faculty and does not perform the function of contacting taste objects. As for written words, writing and typing are produced through the harmonious operation of mind consciousness and body consciousness, requiring the cooperation of the body faculty. The solitary mental consciousness can have inner sounds of the mind; appearances of written words can also appear in the mind. When the solitary mental consciousness introspects, it can know its own inner voice and the appearances of written words.

The above belong to the verbal and mental actions of the six consciousnesses; there are also bodily actions. Bodily actions can only be accomplished through the joint and harmonious operation of mind consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses, requiring the cooperation of the five sense faculties; apart from the five faculties, bodily actions cannot be carried out. The creation of bodily, verbal, and mental actions by the six consciousnesses is brought about by the manas, and is the effect of the manas' mental intent. The manas is like a commander-in-chief, and the six consciousnesses are the executors of the commands. When the commander stirs an intent, brainwaves transmit it; once the command is issued, the entire nervous system of the body begins to operate.

The intent of the manas is like a signal or a code. Mind consciousness can understand a part of it, or most of it; with insufficient wisdom, it cannot understand all of it. When the six consciousnesses execute the command and carry out the concrete operation, only then do written words, language, and sound appear—this is the functional activity of the operating system. The command system operates only in the form of codes and ciphers, without needing the cooperation of the five faculties, and the manas' mental action is thereby completed. Without the cooperation of the five faculties, of course, written words, language, and sound cannot appear.

When the solitary mental consciousness leaves the physical body, without the cooperation of the five faculties, likewise there are no written words, language, or sound; it cannot speak or write. Mental thoughts are also something like codes or ciphers, but mind consciousness understands them completely on its own. Once understood, with the cooperation of the five faculties, they can be expressed as written words, language, and sound. If mind consciousness understands the manas' mental thoughts, it can likewise express them through written words, language, and sound. Therefore, written words, language, and sound are tools for expressing mental thoughts; the manas cannot express itself in this way and can only express itself through mind consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses—except when supernatural powers are present.

As for the ciphers and codes of the eighth consciousness, only after the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are transformed into wisdom, and when one possesses a considerable degree of the wisdom of the varieties of paths, can they be understood. Before that, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses cannot decipher them, yet they can still enjoy the benefits and privileges granted by the eighth consciousness—enjoying them without knowing it, and even believing that these benefits were earned through their own efforts, something they naturally ought to possess. Codes require wisdom to decipher; without wisdom, one will only make a mess of things. Ciphers and codes are merely metaphors, used to illustrate the form of mental thoughts; there are in fact no such ciphers or codes.