The Principle of the Manas’ Direct Realization

Chapter One: The Principle of Personally Realizing the Manas

Twenty-four: The selflessness of the manas means, first, not regarding the manas as real; second, not regarding the five aggregates as real or as oneself; third, not regarding the functions of the six consciousnesses as real or as the manas's own functions; fourth, not regarding the functions of the eighth consciousness as the manas's own functions.

When eradicating the grasping at a self of persons, He must know that the five aggregates and eighteen realms are not the self. Gradually He begins to sever the attachment to the five aggregates and eighteen realms, beginning to observe that this function of the five aggregates is not the self, that function is not the self either, and none of the functions of the five aggregates is the self. In this way, bit by bit, the manas's attachment to the five aggregates can be severed, and one becomes an arhat of the fourth fruit. After the manas severs its attachment to the five aggregates, it reaches an initial stage of being untainted, and its imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) is partially eliminated. Before the fourth-fruit arhat, one has been continuously subduing the manas's grasping at self, subduing it slowly and bit by bit from the moment of attaining the first fruit and becoming a first-fruit person, until the fourth-fruit arhat fully eradicates the grasping at self.

Bodhisattvas at the first bhūmi begin to sever the grasping at a self of dharmas piece by piece. To sever the grasping at a self of dharmas, one must attain the wisdom of tolerance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti), realizing the selflessness of all dharmas, realizing that all dharmas lack self-mastery and are all conjured forth by the eighth consciousness. One observes that in all dharmas there truly is no self existing, and none of them is the self. The manas then accepts that all these dharmas are not the self and are not possessed by the self; only in this way, bit by bit, can He sever the grasping at all dharmas. Only when the manas reaches complete selflessness, without grasping at any dharma, with the mind utterly empty and pure, can one become a Buddha.

Twenty-five: All wealth is stored in the computer of the eighth consciousness; if the manas does not work, the wealth does not manifest. When the manas wants to take wealth, wants the dharmas of the three-realm world, wants to become a Buddha, the eighth consciousness transports all the wealth out for the manas to enjoy, and the manas enjoys it through the six consciousnesses and the five-aggregate body. He treats the five-aggregate body and the six consciousnesses as Himself, as His own tools, just as the hands and feet on a body are used by the body. All dharmas are used by the manas; the eighth consciousness does not use them. It is the manas that grasps at all dharmas and needs all dharmas. The manas is the greatest of all selves. If He is made not to regard Himself as a self, not to regard the five-aggregate body and the six consciousnesses as "me and mine," and not to regard all dharmas as "me and mine," then everything will be fine: the grasping at self and grasping at dharmas will be fully severed, and becoming a Buddha will be more than assured.

Twenty-six: Sudden enlightenment, on the one hand, means the manas suddenly realizes and awakens, and then informs the mind consciousness; it is not something the mind consciousness reasons out bit by bit. On the other hand, the mind consciousness investigates continuously, deliberating bit by bit, continuously permeating the results into the manas, with every thought entering the manas's mind. There is a gradual process, and there is also psychological preparation. Finally the manas confirms, and the mind consciousness also becomes settled; then one is overjoyed, weeping with extreme joy.

How can the manas be made to accept the mind consciousness's ideas? Only by truly calming the mind and thinking deeply and meticulously can the mind consciousness effectively permeate the manas, thereby achieving the effect of persuading the manas. Only when the mind is calmed can the manas exert its function; only when meditative concentration (samādhi) is present can the manas exert its function and engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and investigation together with the mind consciousness. Otherwise, without meditative concentration, the manas is busy and chaotic, and the mind consciousness is also busy and chaotic, unable to deliberate meticulously, unable to permeate the manas, unable to transmit detailed information and data to the manas. Then the manas cannot engage in deliberation (manasikāra/manana) and examination, cannot investigate, cannot exert its proper function, and thus cannot understand the principle, cannot confirm and personally realize the content of the mind consciousness's deliberation.

Only after personal realization can ignorance be broken through and all dharmas be changed. What exists now is only the mind consciousness's intellectual understanding. If the manas does not realize it, whether regarding worldly matters or Buddhist matters, no matter how many thousands or millions of sighs you utter, afterward you will sigh no more, and things will remain as they were. If the manas does not realize it, one cannot turn around one's bodily, verbal, and mental actions, and there will be no liberating merit and benefit to enjoy.

Twenty-seven: All the contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) for eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) that corresponds to the first fruit can be understood by those who have not yet realized the fruit. Many people, after understanding it, think they have practiced the contemplation and believe they have eradicated the view of self. Therefore some people think that understanding the principle of selflessness is eradicating the view of self, and they confirm that they have realized the fruit. This is placing far too much blind faith in oneself, committing a grave lie about superknowledge, with very serious consequences. Everyone is very self-confident, but the result is blind faith—entirely the inner "I" playing tricks, a manifestation of heavy self-regard.

Understanding selflessness is the mind consciousness's intellectual understanding; it does not even count as understanding-realization, and there is still a great gap from the manas's realization. Sentient beings are just this foolish and hard to liberate: they will not listen to honest words, and are only happy when flattered. Some people are overjoyed if you tell them they are at the "eighth fruit," but no matter what, they are unwilling to listen to the truth. Some people have greed, hatred, and delusion all severely present, heavier than ordinary worldlings, yet claim they have attained the second fruit. Sentient beings all love to be arrogant and self-important; there is nothing to be done.

Any other dharma also needs to be realized by the manas; it is not a matter of the mind consciousness merely understanding it. The accomplishment of various contemplative practices is realization, and in all of them the manas participates—it is the manas's realization. Truly understanding deep in the heart, being deeply moved—that is realization to some degree; truly recognizing the truth of a matter, bringing about changes in the state of body and mind—that is the manas's realization to some degree. Since it is called realization to some degree, it is not necessarily complete and thorough realization, so realization also differs in degree and level. Destroying the manas means one cannot become a Buddha; only by breaking through the manas's ignorance can one transform consciousness into wisdom. The manas must never be destroyed, for only then are there the five aggregates, and only by retaining the five aggregates can one become a Buddha.

Twenty-eight: In the cultivation and realization of Yogācāra, the manas is the core. Because the tathāgatagarbha needs no one's instruction and needs no change, one can only apply one's mind to the manas. Changing the manas changes a person, from an ordinary worldling to a Buddha at the fruition stage. Only by changing the manas can all dharmas be changed.

All ignorance resides in the manas. Breaking through the manas's ignorance, one becomes a Buddha; changing the manas changes the seeds, and when the seeds are changed, one becomes a Buddha. The mind consciousness's ignorance all comes from here, from the manas; only depending on the manas is there the mind consciousness and the mind consciousness's ignorance. The mind consciousness and its ignorance are easy to sever—not difficult at all; the difficulty lies in the manas. Therefore the manas's mental factors should not be so much fewer than the mind consciousness's; they should be roughly the same as the mind consciousness's mental factors. When the power of meditative concentration and the power of observation are both severely insufficient, one cannot realize the manas, let alone observe the operation of the manas's mental factors. Not knowing and not realizing the manas's mode of operation within any given dharma, one then dares to rashly deny the manas's various mental activities, insisting on describing them as the mind consciousness's mental activities.

If the manas does not realize the dharmas, it cannot break through ignorance; even breaking through the mind consciousness's ignorance is useless and changes nothing. It now appears that no matter what is done with the mind consciousness, it is useless. The cultivation and realization of all dharmas must reach the manas before the fundamental problem can be solved. Once this line of thinking is clearly understood, there should be nothing more to say about the cultivation and realization of the Buddha-dharma.

Twenty-nine: Sitting quietly deliberating and contemplating the Buddha-dharma, one feels increasingly energetic and gradually shakes off torpor—this is a good sign, showing that the combined practice of śamatha and vipaśyanā has taken effect. If after rising from the seat one can still continue deliberating and contemplating, the contemplative practice has successfully permeated the manas, and the manas has begun to diligently apply itself. If cultivation can permeate the manas, there must be the merit of meditative concentration.

Any cultivation that involves meditative concentration and the manas will bear fruit and be grounded in the fundamental. If there is no meditative concentration in cultivation, it cannot connect with the manas; without permeating the manas, without being grounded in the manas, one cannot be diligent, the seven factors of enlightenment cannot manifest, and one cannot realize the Buddha-dharma.

The key point of both worldly and world-transcending dharmas lies in the manas; therefore, apart from the manas, there is really nothing worth saying. The ultimate essence and root of all dharmas is the tathāgatagarbha and the manas. Speaking of the mind consciousness or other things never reaches the root—it is like scratching an itch through a boot, solving no fundamental problem. Cultivation must be done on the manas. Cultivating only as far as the mind consciousness is very shallow: one cannot transcend the desire realm, cannot escape the three evil destinies, and will remain forever under the demon king's control.

The dharma of meditative concentration and the manas is the dharma the demon king most dreads and fears. He fears lest Buddhist practitioners attain meditative concentration and transcend the desire realm, fears lest they cultivate to the manas, realize the Buddha-dharma, and escape his control. Therefore he will do everything possible to prevent Buddhist practitioners from cultivating concentration and from realizing the dharma. If we wish to attain liberation and not be controlled by the demon of the desire realm, we must diligently cultivate meditative concentration, work hard on cultivating the manas, realize bodhi as soon as possible, and walk the path of liberation.

Thirty: The manas can also be influenced and permeated by the mind consciousness's incorrect deliberation, making wrong choices. For beginningless kalpas, the mind consciousness has been deliberately or inadvertently deceiving the manas, telling the manas that the five aggregates are the self, that all dharmas are mine, that the world of the five aggregates is beautiful and joyful and should be pursued without letting go. The mind consciousness plays the role of a false teacher, and so the manas greedily defiles itself with the worldly five desires and grasps at the five aggregates as itself. Before and after eradicating the view of self, the mind consciousness begins to act as the manas's good teacher and helpful friend: after reforming itself and returning to the right, it then helps the manas reform and return to the right, together subduing afflictions and severing ignorance, together transforming consciousness into wisdom, advancing hand in hand.

Thirty-one: After the mind consciousness perishes, what remains is the "I" that sentient beings regard as themselves. This "I" is the true root of birth-and-death and saṃsāra, endowed with all afflictions and ignorance. Because of this "I," there are the boundless kalpas of painful retribution and painful feeling of future lives, and all the wholesome and unwholesome karmic actions of future lives, along with all the various karmic causes and effects.

Whatever this "I" is like, that is what I am like. If this "I" has no ignorance, I have no ignorance; if this "I" has no afflictions, I have no afflictions. Conceiving with this "I" free of ignorance, I am a Buddha; conceiving with this "I" free of afflictions, I am an arhat, a bodhisattva who has entered the bhūmis; conceiving with this "I" endowed with all afflictions, I am a thoroughgoing worldling; if this "I," in which wholesome dharmas predominate, conceives, I am a good person; if this "I," in which unwholesome dharmas predominate, transmigrates, I am an evil person.

Whatever the original appearance of this "I" is, that is what I am like. May this "I" be free of all afflictions, thus sparing many kalpas of arduous cultivation; may this "I" have more good and less evil, and then I will have more good retribution and less evil retribution. I do not wish for this "I" to lack wholesome dharmas and be discordant with wholesome dharmas; I wish for this "I" to be endowed with all wholesome dharmas.

I wish for this "I" to have no view of self; I wish for this "I" to have no grasping at self; I wish for this "I" to have no arrogance of self; I wish for this "I" to have no greed, hatred, or delusion; I wish for this "I" not to be self-righteous; I wish for this "I" to remove all ignorance; I wish for this "I" to be endowed with all wholesome dharmas; I wish for this "I" to be endowed with all merit; I wish for this "I" to have vast wisdom; I wish for this "I" to thoroughly transform consciousness into wisdom; I wish for this "I" to be endowed with loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity; I wish for this "I" to have vast vows; I wish for this "I" to have compassion for all and never abandon a single sentient being; I wish for this "I" to be utterly selfless; I wish for this "I" to be endowed with immeasurable virtues and abilities; I wish for this "I" to become the refuge of all sentient beings.

In short, I wish for this "I" to be exactly as I hope: severing all evil and being endowed with all good. Therefore, studying Buddhism and cultivating practice means applying effort on this "I," letting this "I" realize all dharmas and change all dharmas. Applying effort on the mind consciousness is useless.

Thirty-two: To what category of dharma does the content of the mind consciousness's deliberation belong? From where is it born? The dharmas deliberated by the mind consciousness come from the tathāgatagarbha; they are precisely drawn out by the manas's grasping, engendered by the manas, propelled forth by the manas. Therefore the manas first contacts the dharmas and the mind consciousness contacts them afterward. In that case, it is possible that the manas first realizes the dharmas and the mind consciousness realizes them afterward. After the mind consciousness deliberates on a dharma, it must transmit it to the manas moment by moment; the manas then engages in its own deliberation (manasikāra/manana), and when the deliberation is thoroughly understood, that is realization.

When the mind consciousness deliberates on exactly how the five aggregates are illusory, how does this content arise? The manas wants to understand how the five aggregates are illusory; the eighth consciousness, in accord with the manas, gives birth to the mind consciousness; the mind consciousness deliberates and searches for evidence, finding each piece of evidence and reporting it to the manas, submitting it to the manas for review. The mind consciousness itself cannot make the final determination; it must be determined by the manas. The manas reviews the evidence provided by the mind consciousness, and after its own scrutiny and deliberative examination, reaches a conclusion that the five aggregates are indeed illusory and selfless, without doubt. Once it is settled beyond doubt, that is realization. The manas then informs the mind consciousness of the confirmed information, and the mind consciousness's mind settles at ease, thus believing without doubt.

Having received the report, how does the manas still need to operate? He must engage in His own deliberation, weighing, and examination before He can make the final decision. There are also times when the mind consciousness cannot reach a conclusion and hands over the content it has not thoroughly understood to the manas, letting the manas investigate and research it, reach a final conclusion, and then let the mind consciousness know. Whatever conclusion the manas reaches after personally weighing it is believed without doubt and extremely firm.

Thirty-three: In meditative absorption, fearing that oneself will disappear, fearing one will not come back—this is all the manas's fear, because the manas regards the five-aggregate body as itself and grasps at the functions of the five-aggregate body, and so it fears the five aggregates themselves will vanish. To change this situation, the mind consciousness needs to use reason to persuade the manas not to grasp at its own five-aggregate body, that the five-aggregate body is not real. Therefore eradicating the view of self requires the manas to eradicate it; severing afflictions requires the manas to sever them; severing ignorance requires the manas to sever it. All afflictions are the manas; liberation means solving the manas's problems.

How many examples illustrate this point: with insufficient power of meditative concentration and insufficient power of wisdom, one cannot recognize this. That manas is so dull and stupid—it still takes care of the mind consciousness; when the manas's own house is on fire it does not know it, yet goes to put out the mind consciousness's fire; the family property has all burned down, and it still wanders around the periphery. Such is the wisdom of sentient beings.

Thirty-four: After the six consciousnesses have all perished and no longer exist, there is still a self at that time—the manas. If the manas has not eradicated the view of self, then the view of self still exists, and one is still a worldling with the view of self. The view of self at that time is the same as when awake, with no difference. Because the manas has the view of self, it thinks that without seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing, it cannot perceive the six sense objects and can no longer act within the six sense objects. It then gives rise to the intention to cognize the realms of the six sense objects; the tathāgatagarbha cooperates and gives birth to the six consciousnesses; seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing manifest; the five aggregates appear; and the manas can then grasp at the realms of the six sense objects, grasp at seeing, hearing, awareness, and knowing, grasp at the activities of the five aggregates—and is thus bound within the three-realm world, unable to attain liberation.

Therefore, in eradicating the view of self, one must make the manas eradicate it at the same time. Only after the manas has no view of self can the various kinds of grasping be lightened, can the mind be liberated, and can there be the wisdom of liberation. Even the view of self after death is the same as when alive; therefore, because of the view of self, one grasps at the five-aggregate body, and the neutrino-body (antarā-bhava) and the five-aggregate bodies of future lives will be born again and again. And the view of self upon rebirth is still the same as in the previous life—still a worldling's body, and the manas still grasps and clings as before. Therefore, it is because of the manas's view of self that sentient beings cycle round after round, life after life, with karmic results unending and birth-and-death unending.

If only the view of self would disappear as soon as the six consciousnesses perish! Unfortunately it cannot. So merely having the mind consciousness eradicate the view of self is useless and does not solve the fundamental problem; one must find a way to have the manas eradicate the view of self.

Thirty-six: All wealth is stored in the computer of the eighth consciousness; if the manas does not work, the wealth does not manifest. When the manas wants to take wealth, wants the dharmas of the three-realm world, wants to become a Buddha, the eighth consciousness transports all the wealth out for the manas to enjoy, and the manas enjoys it through the six consciousnesses and the five-aggregate body. He treats the five-aggregate body and the six consciousnesses as Himself, as His own tools, just as the hands and feet on a body are used by the body. All dharmas are used by the manas; the eighth consciousness does not use them. It is the manas that grasps at all dharmas and needs all dharmas. The manas is the greatest of all selves. If He is made not to regard Himself as a self, not to regard the five-aggregate body and the six consciousnesses as "me and mine," and not to regard all dharmas as "me and mine," then everything will be fine: the grasping at self and grasping at dharmas will be fully severed, and becoming a Buddha will be more than assured. (To be continued)