Only When the Manas Is Focused Can There Be Meditative Concentration (Samādhi)

Question: Does the manas never concentrate on a single dharma, constantly grasping at all dharmas at every moment?

Answer: The manas indeed has the function and nature of grasping at all dharmas, but He is not necessarily able to grasp all dharmas simultaneously, nor is He necessarily willing to grasp all dharmas simultaneously, nor does He necessarily have the energy to grasp all dharmas simultaneously. When the manas is very scattered and grasping at many dharmas at once, and the mind consciousness is unwilling to follow Him and grasp them as well, the manas knows that such random grasping is useless, and so He stops grasping at the dharmas that the mind consciousness is not interested in. He will then gradually settle down, and His energy will gradually become concentrated, thereby subduing His own scattered mind, and meditative concentration (samādhi) arises. This is the result of cultivating concentration, the result of the mind consciousness's wisdom permeating and influencing [the manas], and the result of the mind consciousness's restraint.

Therefore, the manas is capable of developing meditative concentration, is capable of subduing His own tendency toward broad grasping, and His mind can become increasingly focused, to the point of becoming increasingly concentrated on certain dharmas or dharmas of a certain kind. When His attention has a particular emphasis or inclination, and the dharmas He takes as objects are selectively chosen, the manas has attained concentration. For matters in which the manas is deeply interested, without the restraint of the mind consciousness, He can naturally and spontaneously concentrate His energy and focus, and the six consciousnesses will then be drawn by the manas to focus on the matters that interest Him. Therefore, if one wishes to cultivate meditative concentration well, the mind consciousness should select some dharmas in which the manas is deeply interested and let the manas grasp them. In this way, once the manas has settled into focus, meditative concentration will appear, and meditative absorption (samādhi) can be quickly accomplished.