Proving That the Manas Is Not Neutral/Indeterminate through the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

The twelve links of dependent origination: ignorance conditions volitional formations (avidyā-pratyayāḥ saṃskārāḥ), volitional formations condition consciousness, consciousness conditions name-and-form... The first link is ignorance, which is the source of dynamic force for the creation of heaven and earth; from this dynamic force, all things in heaven and earth come into being, and the life-form of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) is able to operate. This is the origin of the birth-and-death saṃsāra of the five-aggregate body, and it is the ignorance of the manas, the consciousness that acts as the master. The second link is volitional formations: due to ignorance, the manas produces mental formations, wanting to act, just like the stirring before heaven and earth came into existence. Once the mental formations of ignorance stir, subsequent actions follow accordingly. These mental formations are complete with the three natures of wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral (avyākṛta); even wholesome actions contain the nature of ignorance. Without ignorance, even worldly goodness would not be done, and the mind-ground would be pure without any action. The third link is the six consciousnesses: because the mental formations of the manas stir and make the choice to act, performing bodily, verbal, and mental actions, the six consciousnesses arise and cooperate with the manas to perform bodily, verbal, and mental actions. The fourth link is the karmic seeds left behind after the six consciousnesses perform bodily, verbal, and mental actions; these karmic seeds determine the arising of name-and-form in future lives.

The bodily, verbal, and mental actions of sentient beings, with their three natures of wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral, arise and act according to conditions, and the karmic seeds are accordingly and constantly stored into the Ālayavijñāna, so that birth-and-death saṃsāra flows on without cease. The bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the three natures come from the mental formations of the manas and are determined by the mental formations of the manas. How, then, could the mental formations of the manas possess only the neutral nature, without wholesome and unwholesome mental formations? If that were so, the chain of birth-and-death in the twelve links of dependent origination would have no way to connect and continue perpetually; birth-and-death would necessarily be cut off, and saṃsāra would necessarily cease. The mental formations of the manas are the driving force behind the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of the six consciousnesses; the wholesomeness or unwholesomeness of the six consciousnesses must come from the wholesome and unwholesome mental formations of the manas, are governed and determined by the wholesome and unwholesome mental formations of the manas, and cannot escape from the wholesome and unwholesome mental formations of the manas. Moreover, the wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral mental formations of the manas are all caused by the ignorance of the manas: wholesomeness is ignorance, unwholesomeness is ignorance, and neutrality is still ignorance. Without ignorance, the karmic actions and karmic seeds of birth-and-death would necessarily perish, and birth-and-death saṃsāra would cease forever.

If the manas were not wholesome, the six consciousnesses would have no way to perform many wholesome actions such as generosity (dāna) and keeping precepts, and sentient beings would have no way to ascend to the heavens to enjoy blessings and pleasures. If the manas were not unwholesome, the six consciousnesses would have no way to perform various unwholesome actions such as killing and arson, and sentient beings would have no way to fall into the three evil destinies to suffer evil retribution. Some might say that this is determined by the wholesome and unwholesome mental formations of the mind consciousness; but how could the wholesome and unwholesome mental formations of the mind consciousness have such great power as to be able to exercise mastery, to wield the manas's authority as master, usurping the role of the host? Furthermore, if the manas had no mental formations, even the mind consciousness would have no way to arise; whether the mind consciousness arises depends entirely on the choice of the manas. If the manas does not make the choice, the mind consciousness has no opportunity to arise. How could it then perform wholesome and unwholesome bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and reverse the sequence of the arising of the twelve links of dependent origination? If the sequence could be reversed, would that not mean the Buddha taught the Dharma incorrectly? When wholesome mental formations arise in the manas, it must want to create wholesome karma, and the six consciousnesses will comply with the manas's choice to arise and create wholesome karma, so as to fulfill the manas's wish. The six consciousnesses are subordinate to the manas and serve the manas; they cannot have independent actions and creations. The same principle applies when the six consciousnesses create unwholesome karma. Therefore, it is said that the manas is not merely of the neutral nature; it is also complete with wholesome and unwholesome natures. Only thus is there the saṃsāra of the six destinies, and only on this basis could the Buddha expound the Dharma of the twelve links of dependent origination.