The Elicitation of Manasikāra Cetasika from Manas

Question: The mental engagement (manaskāra) of the manas (mind faculty) is the crucial point in spiritual practice. Understanding its function greatly aids cultivation, especially in developing concentration (samādhi), where the efficacy lies precisely in the manas. Without knowing the manas, how can one speak of cultivating concentration? The mental engagement of the manas in ordinary beings invariably corresponds with greed (rāga) and hatred (dveṣa), without exception. How does the pure manas of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas engage mentally? Without the motivating force of greed, hatred, or desire (chanda), how does the manas engage? Can the manas engage mentally while in a state of equanimity (upekṣā-vedanā)? Can the manas engage mentally while in an indeterminate (avyākṛta) state?

Answer: The mental engagement of the manas is triggered not only by afflictive mental factors (kleśa-caittas) such as greed and hatred but also by the mental factor of desire (chanda). Desire can be wholesome (kuśala), unwholesome (akuśala), or neutral. Wholesome desire is great vow-power (praṇidhāna-bala), while unwholesome desire is the affliction of greed, hatred, and delusion (moha). Additionally, part of the manas's mental engagement is habitual, arising from its inertial force.

The original text in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: How does the arising of mental engagement occur correctly? It is due to four causes: 1) the power of desire (chanda-bala), 2) the power of mindfulness (smṛti-bala), 3) the power of the object (viṣaya-bala), and 4) the power of habituation (abhyāsa-bala). How is it due to the power of desire? When the mind is attached to a certain object, mental engagement arises frequently towards it. How is it due to the power of mindfulness? When one has already well apprehended the characteristics of an object and has intensely conceptualized it, mental engagement arises frequently towards it. How is it due to the power of the object? When an object that is either extremely vast or extremely agreeable is directly present, mental engagement arises frequently towards it. How is it due to the power of habituation? When one is extremely accustomed and familiar with an object, mental engagement arises frequently towards it. If it were otherwise, only a single mental engagement towards one object should arise at all times.

This explains the conditions for the arising of the mental factor of attention (manaskāra): desire, mindfulness, object, and habit. The reason the manas grasps at objects is precisely because it has desire and mindfulness. Maitreya Bodhisattva has already stated this very clearly: without desire and mindfulness, mental engagement cannot occur. Particularly, the desire and mindfulness of the manas are essential. Only after the manas engages mentally can the six consciousnesses (vijñāna) arise; only then can the six consciousnesses engage mentally. What enables the manas to grasp? It is the power of desire and the power of mindfulness. Without the power of desire and the power of mindfulness, it would be mindless (unmotivated), unwilling to grasp any object, would not give rise to mental engagement towards dharmas, and subsequent dharmas would not manifest. If the manas lacked the mental factor of desire, how could the six consciousnesses manifest the mental factor of desire? If the manas lacked desire, how could all dharmas manifest? Even the Buddha's manas possesses the mental factor of desire, let alone that of ordinary beings. The five sense consciousnesses all possess the mental factor of determination (adhimokṣa); how could the manas lack determination? How then would the manas comprehend the discernment of the six consciousnesses, comprehend all the events it experiences, and how would it respond and react?

The arising of the five universal mental factors (pañca sarvatraga-caittāḥ) is still preceded and based upon the power of desire and the power of mindfulness. The power of desire and the power of mindfulness of the manas are the fundamental driving force for the manifestation of all dharmas. Additionally, there is the habitual and inertial function of the manas. Even when it lacks desire and mindfulness, it habitually grasps and engages mentally, causing us to unconsciously see forms, hear sounds, smell scents, and feel touches, even when the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) does not intend to cognize these dharmas. The detailed explanation is as follows:

First, the power of desire (chanda-bala) refers to the manas's greed and attachment towards an object, enabling the conscious mind (vijñāna) to continuously engage mentally with this object, thereby constantly giving rise to volition (cetanā) and decisions, compelling the tathāgatagarbha (Buddha-nature/womb) to continuously give birth to new objects and mental activities.

Second, the power of mindfulness (smṛti-bala) refers to the manas continuously apprehending the characteristics of an object and continuously cognizing it, enabling the conscious mind to continuously generate the mental factor of attention towards the object, ultimately leading to the continuous arising of volition and decisions, compelling the tathāgatagarbha to continuously cooperate in producing subsequent mental activities and objects. This means that without desire and mindfulness, the conscious mind cannot engage mentally, especially the desire and mindfulness of the manas. Only after the manas engages mentally can the six consciousnesses arise, and only then can the six consciousnesses engage mentally.

Third, the continuous mental engagement of the manas is also due to the object's power being too strong, compelling the conscious mind to engage with the object, thus causing the tathāgatagarbha to cooperate in producing subsequent mental activities and objects.

Fourth, regarding frequently encountered and very familiar objects, the manas engages mentally with them more frequently, the mental factor of volition arises continuously, and the tathāgatagarbha continuously produces subsequent mental activities and objects. The habituating power (abhyāsa-bala) of the manas is extremely strong. Having been conditioned by the same dharmas over countless lifetimes or since beginningless time (anādi-kalpa), in future lives, upon encountering these dharmas and objects, it continuously engages mentally and grasps, its force being immense. If the mental consciousness is not powerful, it cannot control this, as seen in habits like greed, gluttony, excessive sleep, covetousness for wealth, and so on.

If none of these four conditions are present, the manas can grasp fewer objects, engage mentally with fewer dharmas, volitionally discern one dharma, and do so at all times. Therefore, the grasping nature (prāpya) also refers to the habitual mental engagement of the manas. To cultivate concentration, one must control and change the habitual mental engagement of the manas, subduing its grasping nature.

Whether karmic seeds (bīja) ripen or not has no necessary relationship with the mental engagement of the manas. The tathāgatagarbha naturally knows whether karmic seeds have ripened or not. Then, the tathāgatagarbha begins to produce corresponding conditions, giving rise to corresponding dharmas according to the operation of the karmic seeds.