The Mind Faculty and Consciousness
Chapter One: The Difference Between the Manas and the Mind Consciousness
1. Beginners in Buddhism find it very difficult to distinguish between the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, because both consciousnesses correspond to and discriminate the same mental sense-object (dharma-āyatana), they are connected extremely closely, both are consciousness-minds, their natures are relatively similar, and their functions are alike. Many people, or rather countless people, confuse the two consciousnesses and cannot distinguish them, often taking the functions of the manas to be the functions of the mind consciousness, because they do not recognize the true face of the manas. The seventh consciousness is very special: it is both a faculty (indriya) and a consciousness; it belongs both among the six faculties as a faculty and among the consciousness-minds as a consciousness, having the function of a faculty as well as the function of a consciousness.
The natures of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses are very subtle, far subtler than the natures of the first five consciousnesses, so they are not easy to comprehend. We need to study the natures of the two extensively, and then carefully observe and experience them, before we can initially grasp the natures of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses and thereby grow in wisdom. There are many differences between the natures of the sixth and seventh consciousnesses, and their functions are also different. The sixth consciousness performs all mental activities such as knowing, analyzing, judging, deliberating, contemplating (vipaśyanā-caryā), observing, reasoning, recollecting, and recalling the mental sense-objects. The seventh consciousness can make overall consideration and cognition of all dharmas; it is the consciousness-mind that can condition all dharmas, that acts as the master and makes decisions anytime and anywhere, and it is the fundamental condition for the arising of the six consciousnesses.
2. Distinguishing the respective functions and respective influence of the manas and the mind consciousness is entirely achievable; the key lies in what kind of person can achieve it, to what degree, and what kind of person cannot — this depends on each person's degree of wisdom. The degree of wisdom is also constrained by the severity of one's afflictions and the severity of one's habitual tendencies, as well as by the depth of one's meditative concentration (samādhi). Wisdom, meditative concentration, and the degree of purity of the mind — these three are intimately related, closely connected, and inseparable.
The nature and functions of the mind consciousness may be relatively easier to grasp compared to the nature of the manas and the nature of the eighth consciousness, but the vast majority of people still cannot apprehend them and remain in a muddled state. Why is this so? Mainly because these dharmas are still rather deep and subtle. If one's understanding of Buddhist principles is not deep and thorough, one's views are insufficient, one's mind is restless, and one lacks meditative concentration, then one cannot carefully deliberate and contemplate the operation of the mind consciousness itself; without the wisdom of direct perception, even the relatively coarse nature of the mind consciousness cannot be observed clearly.
Among these, there is also the reason of the obstruction of afflictions. Speaking of afflictions, most people only acknowledge greed and hatred, not knowing that ignorance and delusion are also part of the afflictions — indeed the most important part, the root of the afflictions. Delusion means the mind-ground is not clear, lacking wisdom and lacking correct views; its fundamental cause is also insufficient merit. If there were no obstruction of afflictions, wisdom would be vast; the mind consciousness could transform consciousness into wisdom, could understand more principles of the Buddha-dharma, and could directly observe the operation of many dharmas. Its wisdom cannot be specifically described — deep, broad, and subtle — beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
As for the functional nature of the manas, ordinary people cannot directly observe it without the guidance of one who has gone through the experience, because the operational characteristics of the manas are too hidden and too deep and subtle. Bodhisattvas at the first bhūmi and above can directly observe a small part of it; bhūmi-attainment-pending bodhisattvas, relying on the teachings of good spiritual friends, may perhaps understand it fairly adequately, and may perhaps experience a little of it. Those who have not attained enlightenment, relying on the teachings of good spiritual friends, can also realize the manas and understand a very small portion of its functions, and can have some experience of it, but it may not yet amount to direct observation.
It is very difficult for bhūmi-attainment-pending bodhisattvas to directly observe how the manas and the mind consciousness coordinate and cooperate closely in the operation of all dharmas; it is difficult to distinguish, in the operation of various dharmas, which are the functions of the mind consciousness and which are the functions of the manas; it is difficult to distinguish whether the discriminating function with respect to dharmas belongs to the manas or the mind consciousness, whether the deliberating and choosing function with respect to dharmas belongs to the manas or the mind consciousness, and it is difficult to distinguish whether the functions of the various mental factors belong to the manas or the mind consciousness; still less can one distinguish which mental factors the manas has, cannot distinguish what differences exist in the mental factors of each sentient being, and what differences exist in the mental factors of practitioners at different stages. If a bhūmi-attainment-pending bodhisattva has mild afflictions, small obstructions, and relatively deep and broad wisdom, they can rely on the teachings of good spiritual friends to distinguish part of the natures of the manas and the mind consciousness; but for those with heavy afflictions and heavy ignorance, there is nothing to be done.
3. Does each manas-chief need to think over, analyze, and weigh the intelligence and information he receives himself? Does he need to study and process it? Does he need to make strategic arrangements and deployments? Even if he completely agrees with the opinions and suggestions of the six-consciousness staff advisors, must he not go through his owns that occur when recollecting the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), reciting sūtras, or reciting mantras are all evoked by the manas, while the mind consciousness does not know. When we sit in meditation until the mind is very tranquil, we can experience that as soon as there is a reaction or emotion in the mind, the brain's nerves start to pulse, and almost simultaneously the body has various reactions — this shows that the manas has been continuously regulating the physical body.
13. The Difference Between the Manas's Deliberation and the Mind Consciousness's Deliberation
In their deliberating and measuring, one (the manas) is general, one (the mind consciousness) is detailed; one (the manas) is deep, one (the mind consciousness) is shallow; one (the manas) can be continuous without interruption, one (the mind consciousness) is intermittent; one (the manas) is more global and overall, one (the mind consciousness) is partial and local; one (the manas) can connect with the experiences of past lives, one (the mind consciousness) can at most carry the experiences of the present life; one (the manas) is swift and clever, one (the mind consciousness) requires a certain amount of time. Because the manas needs to grasp the overall picture and general outline of people, affairs, things, and principles, connecting past and present, and holds the overall decision-making power and authority, His deliberation cannot go deep and detailed into the fine points of matters and principles — this requires the mind consciousness as staff and assistant, relying on the mind consciousness's careful discrimination and analytical deliberation to be clear. And the mind consciousness, as the manas's tool for discriminating the six sense-object realms, can only cooperate with the manas, compensate for the manas's deficiencies, provide the manas with detailed information, and meet the manas's needs; therefore its deliberation must be very meticulous and concrete.
The manas's wisdom for discriminating the six sense-object realms is not strong, which is determined by its leadership position; because the manas can see all dharmas and silently contains all dharmas, and needs to deliberate on and manage the whole picture and totality of all dharmas, it can no longer make concrete and detailed discrimination and deliberation of sense-object realms; moreover, this part can be shared and assisted by the mind consciousness, and the two cooperating is sufficient. The mind consciousness, relative to the manas, discriminates relatively less content, and can moreover focus its discrimination, so it can discriminate clearly and thoroughly, and its local wisdom-power is strong.
The manas's nature of constant, attentive deliberation never stops; as long as the eighth consciousness can manifest mental sense-objects, the manas can condition them and then deliberate. The mind consciousness's deliberation, however, is intermittent and subject to many conditions; when the conditions are not complete, the mind consciousness cannot appear, or cannot deliberate.
14. The manas, whether in or out of meditative concentration, cannot substitute for the mind consciousness in reasoning, analysis, and deliberation; the manas's deliberation and the mind consciousness's deliberation have certain differences. Reasoning, analysis, and deliberation are the functional nature of the mind consciousness — this is very evident; the mind consciousness corresponds with language, words, and initial application and sustained examination (vitarka-vicāra), and the manas cannot perform such fine mental activities as reasoning and analysis. The manas's special manner of deliberation, measuring, and gauging is also not easy for the mind consciousness to discover and grasp; even if one has realized the manas and discriminated its operation, the manas's manner of deliberation is still very hard to observe and grasp.
The manas is not necessarily wiser than the mind consciousness — it depends on the aspect. In discriminating the six sense-object realms, the manas is not as wise as the mind consciousness, does not have the mind consciousness's minute and detailed discriminating nature, and does not discriminate more clearly and thoroughly than the mind consciousness. But because the manas has never ceased since beginningless kalpas and has experienced endless events, its experience and wisdom are also very rich; sometimes in discriminating major issues it is wiser than the mind consciousness, due to its seasoned experience.
All dharmas are decided at the discretion of the manas, and the manas believes in direct perception and can only believe its own deliberative nature; therefore, if one wants to realize certain dharmas, one must find a way to let the manas deliberate personally and personally participate in them; the result of its deliberation the manas will directly accept, without going through other procedures — relatively quick.
15. Everyone should sharpen their own mind more and flap their lips less. Using the brain is far better than using the mouth, because only with a powerful mind can one obtain wisdom and merit. The brain's function is dominated by the manas, while the flapping of lips is the mind consciousness's skill — which function is more powerful and more capable of solving problems? Using the brain is tiring, while flapping the lips takes no effort, so many people do not use their brains and only flap their lips. What problems can flapping the lips solve? Those who deliberate deeply speak little; those who talk much deliberate shallowly — one uses the manas more, the other uses the mind consciousness more. Such is the relationship between the manas and the mind consciousness: as one wanes the other waxes — one deep, one shallow. Is it better to be deep or shallow?
