The Difference Between the Manas and the Mind Consciousness in Doubt and Decision-Making

Answer: The discerning activities of the eye consciousness and the mind consciousness can only appear when driven by the manas; they are governed and directed by the manas, and are the manas's tools for discerning material sense-objects. Since this is so, the manas must understand the material sense-objects discerned by the eye consciousness and mind consciousness, and afterward it must make a choice and a decision, whereupon the six consciousnesses will engage in further activity. Comparing two colors is decided and directed by the manas. After the two consciousnesses have discerned them but cannot confirm them, the manas also cannot confirm them; when the mind consciousness doubts about the colors, the manas also doubts, and so the manas decides to discern them again. Although discerning and distinguishing colors is the proper task of the eye consciousness, the eye consciousness cannot bear and discern them on its own; it must discern them together with the mental consciousness accompanying the five sense consciousnesses (pañcavijñāna-sahagata-manovijñāna). The mind consciousness can discern the degree of depth of colors, the names and connotations of colors, whether they are comfortable to look at, whether they are bright, and other subtle characteristics; the eye consciousness discerns the coarse characteristics of colors, and does not know the names, the degree of brightness, the degree of comfort, and so on. Therefore, with regard to the five sense-objects in the aspect of color, the manas can also contact and discern them; it is only that its discernment is not clear, and it needs to rely on the two tools of the eye consciousness and the mind consciousness.

Seeing the traffic light at an intersection is also discerned by the eye consciousness and the mind consciousness, governed and directed by the manas. On the basis of the discernment of the two consciousnesses, the manas makes its own discernment, and thus decides to stop or to drive, as well as to turn left or turn right. Among these decisions, the first is the decision of the mind consciousness, offered as counsel for the manas; the manas engages in its own deliberation (manana) and makes the decision, and does not completely follow the opinions and views of the mind consciousness.