Evidence that the Manas Has Three Types of Feeling (II)

What are the manifestations of the seventh consciousness when facing the realms of the six sense objects? Grasping, craving, aversion, hatred, and so on. From the seventh consciousness's manifestations when facing the realms of the six sense objects, one knows that the manas is often not in neutral feeling; its emotions are intense and abnormal, and the mind is restless like a monkey. Why is this so? Because the seventh consciousness knows wholesome and unwholesome, right and wrong, straight and crooked; it knows benefit and harm, gain and loss to itself; it knows advantage and disadvantage. Within the seventh consciousness's mind there is a self; it must take the self as the starting point in viewing things, it must protect its own interests, and it inevitably has the thoughts and emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. When facing realms, the mind is not calm — that is not neutral feeling. If it were neutral feeling, the state of mind would be peaceful, the mental activities would be unconditioned, and no matter how the realm is, it would be fine — indifferent.

Being confined in the mother's womb for a long time without being born is a form of evil retribution. The Buddha's son Rāhula was in the womb for six years before being born because in a past life he had blocked a mouse hole for six days, causing the mice to suffocate and die in the cave; thus he received the evil retribution of remaining in the womb for six years. While in the womb, at the beginning there is no mind consciousness; there is only the manas and the tathāgatagarbha. Since remaining in the womb is a retributive result, the manas is able to undergo the retributive result.

When receiving evil retribution in the womb, the mind consciousness has not yet arisen — what is the manas's feeling? If the manas felt comfort or had no feeling, then it would not be called evil retribution. When one is in a coma, when one becomes a vegetative person, these are all evil retributions, or painful retributions. At this time there are no six consciousnesses; only the manas undergoes the painful retribution. Then the manas cannot be pleasant feeling or neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling; otherwise it would not be called painful retribution. In the intermediate existence, the road ahead is vast and unclear; generally speaking, it is painful feeling. Because the manas dislikes painful feeling, it hastens to take rebirth in order to avoid painful feeling. At this time, the manas cannot be pleasant feeling or neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. After falling asleep, what is the manas's feeling? Who can know? Just after waking up, what is the manas's feeling? Who can know? When encountering various matters, what is the manas's feeling? Who can know? These dharmas are very profound and subtle; if the mind consciousness's meditative concentration and wisdom are insufficient, one cannot directly perceive and observe them.