What dharmas does the manas deliberate on?

The object-aspect (nimitta) transformed and manifested by the eighth consciousness (Ālayavijñāna) includes two parts: form dharmas as sense objects and mental dharmas as sense objects. The manas must deliberate on all of them, including deliberation on form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas among form dharmas as sense objects, and deliberation on the six consciousnesses and mental factors (caitta) among mental dharmas as sense objects. He can also deliberate on the manas itself; when deliberating on Himself, it is the self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana) of the manas operating manifestly. After enlightenment, the manas obtains great wisdom and can also deliberate on the eighth consciousness. As for the many object-aspects that the six consciousnesses cannot discern or contact, the manas can also deliberate on them without needing the mind consciousness to provide information or assistance. From this, it can be seen that the range of objects of the manas is extremely broad, and the objects and contents He deliberates on are extremely numerous. Therefore, it is quite difficult for Him to attain meditative concentration (samādhi), and subduing Him is far more difficult than subduing the mind consciousness.

As for the manas's deliberation on form dharmas as sense objects—for example, His deliberation on the physical body—He relies on the eighth consciousness to be able to take the body faculty as an object, and He then discerns the various states of the body faculty. He then deliberates on how to have the body faculty act and change, how to keep the body in the most comfortable and agreeable state, how to eliminate discomfort and pain from the body, how to help the body avoid dangers and accidents, how to let the body rest and recover from fatigue, how to reduce the body's burden, how to keep breathing smooth, and so on. Also, during sleep, He deliberates on what posture the body should be in to be stable and comfortable; if uncomfortable, He will have the body turn over, scratch an itch, urinate or defecate, and so on. For physical discomfort or accidents, after deliberating, He will have the six consciousnesses wake up to discern and handle the matter, so as to prevent the body from being damaged or becoming abnormal.

The manas first performs a rough deliberation on the form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas that are contacted. Only after deliberating can He decide whether to have the six consciousnesses discern and act in detail, or to direct the six consciousnesses to evade, having the body accept or avoid them. As for some mental objects that the manas has deliberated on, the six consciousnesses do not have the ability to contact and handle them; only the eighth consciousness can cooperate in handling them. Therefore, after some matters are completed, the six consciousnesses do not know about them and have no awareness of them. If the manas has not completed His deliberation on the mental objects He is deliberating on, He will not make a decision; He must continue deliberating without cease, to the point that it appears in dreams at night—yet the mind consciousness may not necessarily know what it means.

This deliberative nature of the manas operates simultaneously with the bodily, verbal, and mental activities of the six consciousnesses, without mutual obstruction. This is the mindless-like activity of bodily, verbal, and mental actions, which people call being absent-minded. However, the manas's deliberation is very deep, often with a persevering tenacity that is not easily detected. Some Chan practitioners who investigate huatou (meditation topics) are in such a state of practice: whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, they are mindful of it in every thought, persevering without giving up, suspending a huatou deeply within their thoughts, penetrating deep into the manas—not the superficial thinking and analysis of the mind consciousness.

By mobilizing the deliberative nature of the manas, one can attain deep enlightenment, thereby opening the treasure trove of wisdom. When the manas approves and realizes it, mental activity undergoes a qualitative leap, and the body and mind change greatly—far more profound and clear than the views and knowledge easily obtained by the mind consciousness. This is because it is personally realized by the manas, not obtained by the six consciousnesses through hearsay, not obtained by the six consciousnesses from others or through speculation. Therefore, one believes it deeply without doubt, the mind is shaken, and mental activity transforms. This kind of practice fundamentally solves the great problem.

The manas's deliberation on mental dharmas as sense objects is to deliberate on the six consciousnesses' discernment of the six sense objects, whether the discernment has been completed, whether the six consciousnesses are fatigued, whether they need rest, or whether to continue discerning, and whether the six consciousnesses like or dislike the six sense objects. After deliberating, He will decide whether to have the six consciousnesses cease their activities and stop the current bodily, verbal, and mental actions. Or He may decide to have the six consciousnesses switch to other sense-object realms, shifting to other objects and contents.

The manas also has a deliberative nature toward Himself; this is part of His self-validating cognition (svasaṃvedana). He will deliberate on whether His just-made decision was correct and reasonable, whether it has been completed, and whether it needs supplementation or correction. After deliberating, He may change His decision, or become more firmly committed to His decision, determined to put it into action and achieve the goal. Some people's manas has a very strong inertial force—this is what is called being very stubborn. The manas clearly knows that His just-made decision was wrong and should be changed, yet He persists to the end, regardless of the outcome. He also lacks the wisdom to deliberate on and attend to the results of things. Therefore, some people's manas has wisdom, while some people's manas lacks wisdom. Their deliberative natures differ, their decision-making powers differ, and the results are vastly different.

The manas's deliberation on the eighth consciousness can only proceed based on the thinking and guidance of the mind consciousness; the manas cannot by itself automatically become aware of the eighth consciousness. This is because the manas's ignorance is deeply rooted, having existed since beginningless kalpas. Throughout beginningless kalpas, He has been together with the eighth consciousness yet does not recognize it, and even appropriates the eighth consciousness's functions as His own. After the mind consciousness learns the principles of the eighth consciousness, it continuously perfumes the manas, enabling the manas to also discern the nature of the eighth consciousness. The manas will then deliberate on and know the nature of the eighth consciousness. If He wishes to seek and realize the eighth consciousness, He decides to investigate Chan.

After realizing the eighth consciousness, through the mind consciousness's observation and contemplation of the eighth consciousness, the manas will deliberate on the eighth consciousness's function of giving rise to all dharmas, deliberate on the selflessness of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha), deliberate on the selflessness of the six consciousnesses, and also deliberate on the selflessness of the manas itself. He can then arouse great wisdom, increasingly recognizing that the five aggregates, the six consciousnesses, and the manas itself are all not real. In this way, He can eradicate attachment to the self. He also gradually stops appropriating the eighth consciousness's functions as His own. The manas's wisdom will become deeper and deeper, His selflessness increases more and more, ignorance becomes fainter and fainter, and mental activity becomes increasingly pure and equal. When the manas transforms consciousness into wisdom, He can then independently deliberate on the eighth consciousness, no longer deluded into taking many dharmas as belonging to Himself, with selfless mental activity and ever-stronger equality.