How to Observe and Subdue the Conceptualized Nature of Manas

The parikalpita nature of manas is its pervasive discrimination and attachment to all dharmas, incessantly clinging to every phenomenon. Relying on the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna), it cognizes all dharmas manifested by the eighth consciousness, remaining in a state of constant awareness moment after moment, unwilling to relinquish any dharma. It ceaselessly adheres to every dharma it contacts; past dharmas, present dharmas, and future dharmas all linger incessantly within the mind. Thoughts flow continuously—no dharma is unremembered, no dharma is unattached, no dharma fails to cling. This is the parikalpita nature of manas. Because manas possesses this characteristic, it causes the mind to become tangled like hemp, scattered like a monkey, with thoughts ceaselessly arising. Consequently, it lacks meditative concentration (samādhi), cannot focus, and expends immense time and energy on meaningless dharmas, preventing wisdom from increasing.

If you have a method to observe these thoughts of manas, you will realize what dharmas manas is clinging to and attaching to. Then you will have a way to counteract and subdue the parikalpita nature of manas, thereby enabling you to focus your mind and enhance your power of concentration (samādhi-bala) and power of wisdom (prajñā-bala). How to observe the parikalpita nature and thoughts of manas? First, observe the states and mental activities that appear in dreams. Observe whether these states and thoughts are orderly or chaotic and unfocused. If you can observe the focal point indicated by the states and the thoughts arising from manas, you will know the content manas is attached to and concerned with, as well as the issues existing within the mind.

Second, immediately upon waking, observe what your thoughts are and what your emotional state is. These thoughts belong to manas, not the sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna), because the sixth consciousness has just arisen and has not yet had time to generate any thoughts or emotions. Third, observe the coming and going mental activities within meditative concentration (samādhi). In samādhi, the sixth consciousness has already become tranquil and free of thoughts, yet some mental activities within the mind remain unsettled—flickering, dimming, lightening, weighting, constantly arising, ceasing, and arising again. These mental activities are all from manas. In all circumstances, the thoughts within the mind are scattered and unsettled; most are unimportant and meaningless. From this, one can understand and observe the parikalpita nature of manas. Due to this parikalpita nature, since beginningless kalpas (aeons), we have consumed and wasted immense energy yet failed to attain the wholesome results we should have gained. Such pervasive clinging everywhere is truly a case of the gains not worth the losses.

How to curb and reduce the parikalpita nature of manas? One must avoid contact with meaningless and useless people, affairs, objects, and principles. Minimize exposure to various states and phenomena. Endeavor to shield oneself from the world's rotten people, rotten affairs, and entangled interpersonal matters. Know as few dharmas as possible; if possible, know none at all. Those people and affairs are utterly meaningless, merely wasting time and energy, leaving impure thoughts in the mind. Continuously fix the mind upon one meaningful dharma. Focus on this dharma unwaveringly, uninterruptedly, and without admixture. Take this dharma as the main thread. With prolonged practice, the mental distractions will lessen, the scattered mind will be subdued, the mind will become stable, energy will become concentrated and vigorous, and wisdom will increase.