The Principle and Process of the Manas's Discernment and Selection

When a large cluster of colors appears, if the manas chooses purple, it will let the six consciousnesses remain focused on appreciating it; and upon seeing a pink flower, it will never take a second look. Since the manas has such a capacity for choice, it shows that the manas knows the differences among the various colors. Thus the manas can contact the entirety of the six sense objects and also possesses a certain power of determination (adhimokṣa) regarding them. The fact that it can enable the six consciousnesses to focus and appreciate shows that the manas is also constantly contacting; therefore the manas also has samādhi. If the manas did not have samādhi and ran off to other sense objects, the six consciousnesses would immediately vanish from the original sense objects.

Searching among a large bunch of flowers for the violets one is very fond of shows that the manas has desire, that it has the mental factor of desire (chanda). If the manas did not wish to see the violets, it would not give rise to the six consciousnesses to search for the violets. Where the manas does not reach, the six consciousnesses will not appear.