The Difference Between Manas and Consciousness Activities

If the manas (mind faculty) is stirred, there will be various physical reactions, such as blushing, a racing heart, shyness, or bulging veins, trembling all over, and so on. When only the consciousness (mano-vijnana) is stirred, the body shows little reaction and remains relatively calm. People who only talk without acting are merely stirring their consciousness, while their manas remains unmoved. Those who say one thing but do another are speaking with their consciousness while their manas has no intention to act, and thus they do not act. Habitual deceivers use their consciousness to perform, while their manas remains entirely unmoved. Therefore, to observe a person's character, one should look at how they act, not just what they say. Actions speak louder than words.

The activity of the manas consumes a certain amount of energy, whereas the activity of consciousness does not necessarily consume energy, or consumes relatively little. If consciousness activity does consume energy, it also involves the entire body, because energy flows throughout the body; the whole body uses the same energy, which is undivided. However, those who prefer mental contemplation tend to consume the energy in the brain first. Only when the brain's energy is insufficient do they consume the energy of the whole body. The brain affects the entire body; when the brain is tired, the whole body also becomes fatigued and requires rest.

Within the activity of consciousness, the manas is not entirely inactive; it is involved to some extent, thus requiring energy consumption. The more it is involved, the more energy is consumed. If I do not contemplate issues deeply and only engage in superficial consciousness activity quietly all day, I do not feel tired even after a full day and night, nor do I feel particularly hungry. If I contemplate issues deeply, I feel tired very quickly and also get hungry easily. Therefore, I have no desire at all to engage with people or affairs, nor to exert mental effort, nor to consider certain unimportant issues, unless they are meaningful and relatively significant.

When meditating in Chan Buddhism with deep concentration, a lot of energy is also consumed. When cultivating concentration without contemplation, little energy is consumed, and the body instead feels comfortable and relaxed. Cultivating concentration without contemplation is less strenuous, while contemplative analysis can be mentally taxing. When thinking with consciousness, because the mental effort is shallow and minimal, it is relatively fast and easy, allowing for superficial discussion, flowing like clouds and water, with witty remarks, but the content is shallow, reflecting the level of knowledge and memory recall, rarely demonstrating wisdom. When thinking with the manas, because the mental effort is deep, the mind operates slowly and exhaustingly, but the content is profound and meaningful, reflecting a person's deep-seated wisdom.

To illustrate the difference between using consciousness and using the manas with a metaphor: imagine a person walking in muddy ground. If the mud is shallow, only reaching the soles of the shoes, walking is still relatively fast and effortless. If the mud reaches the ankles, calves, or knees, pulling the feet out becomes difficult; each step is laborious, and walking becomes very slow. Thinking with consciousness is like walking on shallow mud, while thinking with the manas is like walking on deep mud. Therefore, a person who contemplates issues with the manas, if constantly operating at the deep level of the manas, tends to be highly focused. Each time a thought shifts or a problem changes, the thought process becomes very slow, requiring substantial energy consumption and feeling somewhat tiring. Consequently, such a person prefers quiet and does not wish to be disturbed by external people or affairs.