Is Manas Only Conditioned by Significant and Transient Dharma Objects?

Those who cannot observe the functioning of the manas (mind faculty) as it truly is will harbor many misunderstandings about it. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Buddha states that the manas silently contains all dharmas, and the scope of these dharmas is exceedingly vast. Whatever dharmas the tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature) can manifest, it simultaneously cognizes. The manas, following the tathāgatagarbha, can apprehend whatever dharmas arise. This is the meaning conveyed in the Buddhist scriptures.

Some claim that the manas only apprehends significant and changing dharma-dhātus (objects of mind), and that it cannot apprehend what is insignificant and unchanging. Is this truly the case? If there were dharmas that the manas does not apprehend, the six consciousnesses would be even less capable of apprehending them. Any dharma cognized by the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) is one that the manas has contacted and cognized. In fact, in daily life, the mental consciousness cognizes dharma-dhātus regardless of whether they are significant or insignificant, changing or unchanging. For example, the buzzing of a mosquito, the sound of one's own heartbeat, subtle sounds within the ears, or noises in the stomach—no matter how faint these sounds are, once the mental consciousness becomes aware of them, it is because the manas has grasped and brought them forth. The manas must have contacted and cognized them first, albeit without detailed discernment, prompting the birth of the six consciousnesses to assist in finer cognition. Therefore, whether significant or minute, the manas, following the tathāgatagarbha, can apprehend and cognize all dharmas. Only what is considered relatively important, useful, or habitually cognized prompts the six consciousnesses to arise and cognize. For the portions not cognized by the six consciousnesses, the manas can still apprehend and cognize them; it is merely that the mental consciousness remains unaware.

Even if a dharma-dhātu remains unchanged, the manas can continuously cognize it. For instance, if the mental consciousness and eye consciousness observe an unchanging scene for half a day or a full day, the manas contacts this scene for that duration without shifting—it does not only contact frequently changing dharma-dhātus. Nor does it only apprehend dharma-dhātus while ignoring the five sense objects (rūpa, form). For example, the manas first contacts a multitude of colors but becomes interested only in specific ones. It then gives rise to the eye consciousness and mental consciousness to jointly cognize the colors of interest, while neglecting the others.

Those who genuinely seek to learn the Buddha Dharma and attain accomplishment must rely solely on truth and the actual state of reality, not on individuals or authorities.