Chapter Four   The Role of Manas in Investigation

I. The Process of Cultivation

When we hear about something from others, we know it immediately. However, knowing does not immediately lead to belief; it requires verification, examination, and validation before we can believe. Only those with simple minds and insufficient wisdom accept it immediately without verification and react. This process of verifying information is equivalent to the process of realization. The initial hearing from others corresponds to the discernment (vijñapti) of consciousness (mano-vijñāna). The subsequent knowing corresponds to the understanding (解, jie) of consciousness. The subsequent verification corresponds to the investigation (参究, canjiu) by consciousness and manas. The final belief corresponds to the realization (证, zheng) by consciousness and manas, and the belief of manas. Following this, there is practice (行, xing), corresponding to the action taken by manas after it has transformed itself.

The entire process of Chan (Zen) cultivation can be summarized in six characters: 知 (zhi, knowing), 解 (jie, understanding), 参 (can, investigating), 证 (zheng, realizing), 信 (xin, believing), 行 (xing, practicing). These six characters represent six stages of cultivation. Among them, the belief of consciousness corresponds to the first and second stages, which are omitted here.

Many people mistake the knowing and understanding of consciousness for the ultimate goal of cultivation, thinking they have reached the end and become satisfied, thus becoming arrogant. In reality, this is merely the beginning, not even reaching the middle stage. Only when the knowing and understanding of consciousness are correct and accord with principle can one reach the middle stage of investigation. It is evident that correct knowing and understanding by consciousness are also very important and not easily achieved. The vast majority of people remain stuck at this stage, unable to surpass it and continue with Chan investigation. Because the foundation is not yet solid, the views and understanding are not yet in accordance with principle and are not well established. If one remains at this stage thinking it is the ultimate, how shallow must their wisdom be? No wonder they develop arrogance.

The belief in the later stage of the six stages is the true belief, called realized belief (证信, zhengxin) or true belief (真信, zhenxin), not faith based on hearsay (仰信, yangxin) or superstition (迷信, mixin). The belief of consciousness is a kind of faith based on hearsay, superstition, or blind reverence, not right faith (正信, zhengxin), true faith, or realized faith. Those who have not cultivated to the stage of right faith, true faith, or realized faith may regress in their faith in the Dharma, because the foundation is not firm, the views and understanding are not fully established, and they have not undergone verification of the Dharma. Those with shallower roots take longer to verify; those with very good roots can verify it quickly. A person's cultivation truly cannot be judged by one lifetime; one must look at the foundation from past lives. The better the cultivation in past lives, the sharper the faculties (根性, genxing), and the faster the cultivation in this life. When manas believes, there is action. Manas must realize before it can believe. Manas must perceive directly (现量, xianliang) before it can realize. Why do so many practitioners still regress? Because it is not true belief; there is no genuine realization.

II. Realization of Fruition by Consciousness and by Manas

When realizing fruition (证果, zhengguo) or attaining enlightenment (开悟, kaiwu), is it sufficient for consciousness alone to understand, or is it necessary for manas to understand simultaneously and realize the fruition together? This question is also a matter of Consciousness-Only wisdom (唯识种智, Weishi Zhongzhi). Only Bodhisattvas above the first ground (初地, Chudi) who have transformed consciousness into wisdom (转识成智, Zhuanshi Chengzhi) can truly observe this and genuinely understand this issue. This is because Bodhisattvas below the first ground and ordinary people cannot observe manas and its functioning; they cannot observe the subtle and profound role manas plays in realizing fruition. Therefore, denying the role of manas in realizing fruition is not in accordance with principle; it is an act of slandering the Dharma (谤法, bangfa) and damaging the Dharma (坏法, huaifa), and the karmic retribution is not light.

Those who propagate the idea that consciousness alone realizes fruition will have karmic retribution in this life and future lives that is not very optimistic, similar to the retribution for a blind person giving directions. We should all, when we do not yet understand the Dharma, choose to remain silent as much as possible, express fewer opinions, to avoid disaster and misfortune. Not expressing opinions avoids disaster and misfortune. Illness enters through the mouth; misfortune comes out of the mouth. This principle should be understood by everyone.

III. True Realization is Realization by Manas

When truly exerting effort in Chan, because the meditative concentration (禅定, chanding) is deep, consciousness is almost inactive. Only manas is in a state of investigation (伺, si), wanting to understand, deeply probing. Finally, when conditions are sufficient, manas suddenly finds the functioning Tathāgatagarbha (如来藏, Rulaizang) within the five aggregates (五蕴, wuyun), and thus realization occurs. Simultaneously, it transmits this message to consciousness, which then suddenly understands, almost simultaneously realizing with manas. Manas directs consciousness to slap the thigh (a gesture of sudden realization). As long as manas realizes, the body and mind at that time will have reactions different from usual: physical and mental lightness and ease (轻安, qing'an), joyful and happy mood, relaxed and free. With only the understanding of consciousness, there are none of these signs and reactions, because consciousness does not rule; it cannot dominate the body sense faculty (身根, shengen). Without meditative concentration, or with shallow concentration, manas cannot be utilized because it cognizes many dharmas and cannot investigate alone; it cannot investigate together with consciousness.

Generally speaking, truly realizing any Dharma involves meditative concentration, manas participates in the investigation process, and ultimately it is manas that realizes and then informs consciousness. If consciousness realizes first and then informs manas, manas cannot fully investigate and deliberate; it reluctantly agrees with the views and understanding of consciousness. The degree of enlightenment is shallow; manas does not fully and thoroughly understand, making regression very easy. When manas realizes by itself first, it is often very firm and will not regress.

When consciousness alone speculates and understands emotionally (情思意解, qingsi yijie), manas does not participate in the entire thinking activity. Even if consciousness understands some principles, manas remains confused and full of doubts. When the conscious mind is coarse, it generally cannot detect the mental state of manas. Any conclusion or answer reached by consciousness alone is incomplete and not thorough, lacking evidence or having insufficient evidence. There is no talk of regression or non-regression because there has been no progress at all; how can there be regression?

The deeper the meditative concentration, the more manas can be utilized; the shallower the concentration, the weaker manas becomes. Regression or non-regression depends on manas. Manas itself investigates and deliberates firmly and solidly to find the answer. Once it reaches a conclusion, it is very certain and will not doubt; everyone trusts themselves the most.

Therefore, with little effort, realization is shallow, doubts cannot be completely severed, and regression is easy in the future. If manas does not realize, doubts cannot be eliminated at all; it does not count as realization and cannot sever the fetters (结缚, jiefu). Therefore, there is no talk of regression. If investigating the Tathāgatagarbha, there is also no talk of relying upon and transforming according to the Tathāgatagarbha (转依如来藏, zhuanyi Rulaizang), because without realization, how can one rely? Without reliance, there can be no transformation. Without progress, there is no regression.

Playing with the subtle spirit (弄精魂, nong jinghun) only on the level of consciousness, one suffers great loss at the time of death. Will it still be too late to regret then? Some might say that realizing the first fruition (初果, chuguo) does not sever afflictions; the body and mind do not transform; there are no changes, and this is normal. However, in worldly matters, when manas truly knows something, it can also become unusually excited, with significant changes in the body: extremely excited in the mind, or tears welling up, or body and mind trembling, or a solemn expression, or...

During the cultivation of the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment (三十七道品, sanshiqi daopin) before realizing fruition, the body and mind will change little by little. Without change, there is no cultivation; the direction of cultivation is wrong, or there is simply no diligence, no earnest effort.

IV. The Bus Analogy for the Knowing and Realizing of Manas

A person wants to take a bus to place A. Arriving at the bus stop, they find Bus Route 1 and Bus Route 2. They look at the stop names of the two buses; consciousness knows they should take Bus Route 2, so they decide to take Bus Route 2. After boarding the bus, they will reach the destination.

Question: Does manas know what consciousness knows? Is the decision to take Bus Route 2 made by consciousness or manas? Is boarding the bus directed by consciousness or manas?

Answer: Manas uses the six consciousnesses to discern the dharmas it wants to discern. Manas contacts sense objects (尘, chen) and generates consciousness. The dharmas discerned by consciousness are also constantly contacted, attended to, felt, perceived, and thought by manas. If manas stops contacting a dharma, consciousness regarding that dharma disappears. Therefore, the dharmas known by consciousness are simultaneously known by manas. The difference lies in whether the knowing of the two consciousnesses is consistent.

Manas cannot discern subtle details; consciousness discerns for it. Manas cannot analyze, reason, or judge; consciousness analyzes, reasons, and judges for it. After manas knows, it then deliberates and considers for itself. If it agrees with consciousness's view, it approves consciousness's judgment and decision. If it disagrees, it asks consciousness to think again, then manas deliberates again. This perpetual scrutinizing deliberation (恒审思量, hengshen siliang) function of manas arises constantly. It must scrutinize all dharmas before allowing them to pass and making its final decision.

Question: When consciousness knows that only Bus Route 2 can reach the destination, does manas also need to realize this principle? If manas cannot deliberate and realize this principle, can one still board the bus and reach the destination?

Answer: For manas to know what consciousness has discerned, it must deliberate personally; it is not that whatever consciousness says is accepted. The perpetual scrutinizing deliberation of manas serves this function. Therefore, manas has its own thoughts and wisdom; it is not a fool.

When consciousness knows that only Bus Route 2 can reach the destination, manas may not necessarily know this principle. If manas cannot deliberate and realize this principle, one cannot reach the destination. This involves the wisdom of manas, the thinking and analytical ability of consciousness, and the presence or absence of afflictive obscurations (烦恼遮障, fannao zhezhang). It also involves the issue of meditative power (定力, dingli).

Consciousness understands and knows many dharmas, but if manas does not understand, it delays making decisions and does not take action. For example, regarding the matter of giving (布施, bushi), consciousness feels it should be done, but manas does not understand and is unwilling to do it. By the same token, when consciousness thinks about and analyzes the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self of the five aggregates (五阴苦空无常无我, wuyin kukong wuchang wuwo), if consciousness skims superficially without careful contemplation and observation (观行, guanxing), manas, due to poor analytical understanding, cannot comprehend this principle. It also fears truly having no self, not knowing the benefit of no-self, and thus prevents consciousness from thinking about this matter further.

Therefore, although some people's consciousness may understand a little about the non-self of the five aggregates, manas may not necessarily understand. What consciousness knows, manas may not necessarily realize. If manas cannot realize the non-self of the five aggregates, then it cannot sever the three fetters (三缚结, san fujie). All actions of body, speech, and mind cannot change, and the problem of birth and death cannot be resolved. Boarding the bus is decided by manas. Is it possible that the great matter of birth and death does not require manas to decide but is decided by consciousness? The first bite of rice, the second bite of vegetables—all are decided by manas. Consciousness, you can just advise. As for what to eat, what not to eat, and how much to eat, it is the master, manas, who makes the final decision.

Studying Buddhism to resolve birth and death cannot be like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, thinking everything is fine. One must face the problem squarely, solve the problem, and not avoid it. The great matter of birth and death cannot be avoided; one must face it and resolve it to attain peace of mind.

V. The Special Function of Manas When Consciousness is Absent

When Buddha recitation (念佛, nianfo) penetrates deeply into manas and transforms its thoughts, one can still recite the Buddha's name while asleep. When Chan investigation arouses doubt (疑情, yiqing) in manas, one can still investigate Chan while asleep, sleeping restlessly. If the problem is unresolved and manas considers it very important, it will still deliberate after falling asleep. Upon waking and opening the eyes, consciousness will suddenly understand; the problem is solved.

Hand over the Dharma not yet understood by consciousness to manas. Manas deeply doubts and deliberates. Consciousness goes about its business doing whatever it should do. At some unknown time, manas resolves the doubt, and consciousness suddenly understands—a great awakening.

Regarding the Buddha Dharma, manas uses consciousness to learn theoretical knowledge of the Dharma. Afterwards, manas digests and absorbs this learned theoretical knowledge, equivalent to a cow chewing its cud during rest. Many people only rely on consciousness to learn and collect vast amounts of knowledge everywhere, then output it, never understanding how to let manas absorb and digest it, thereby turning it into the nourishment they need and becoming their own true wisdom. Patriarchs say that those without genuine realization who teach the Dharma are merely "entering through the ear and exiting through the mouth" (耳入口出法, er ru kou chu fa) or engaging in "emotional speculation and intellectual understanding" (情思意解法, qingsi yijie fa). They themselves have not yet benefited, let alone enabling others to benefit.

VI. Suspending the Doubt in the Mind of Manas is Chan Investigation

The fastest way to subdue and transform manas, enabling it to understand principle, is for consciousness to roughly understand the principle, then suspend these principles in the mind during concentration (定中, ding zhong). Without thinking, just quietly observe and let them be. Then, unexpectedly, at some point, one feels a little understanding, or suddenly understands completely. This is the result of letting manas deliberate alone. This method is very effective; I often use it this way and dislike the superficial analysis and research of consciousness. The thought suspended in the mind and brain is a doubt. Any problem not understood can be placed with manas for it to deliberate. Consciousness can either cooperate, or not cause trouble or interfere, or handle daily trivial matters as usual. As for when manas can provide the answer, it depends on the wisdom of manas itself, the state of meditative concentration, and how well consciousness cooperates.

The method of suspending thoughts in the mind is the Chan investigation method commonly used by Chan Patriarchs of the past. For worldly people today lacking meditative concentration, it is relatively difficult to cultivate. At first, one often cannot find the door, feeling there is no starting point. One needs to constantly ponder and experiment. Once the method is mastered and one enters the door, it becomes easy. Afterwards, when encountering difficult problems, use this method; it can solve problems fundamentally. Many principles seem understood but are not truly understood; this is actually manas not understanding, while consciousness understands a little more or less. Calm down, give manas time and energy to consider; the result that comes out will be quite satisfactory, without doubts. This requires consciousness to have a general direction of thought, understanding a little of the principle. Those with good concentration and wisdom may not need consciousness to understand; just suspend the problem deep in the mind, and soon they can understand.

Without meditative concentration, it is almost always consciousness thinking; manas cannot exert its strength. Thinking is generally relatively superficial and not deep. Because modern people generally lack meditative concentration, very few know how to investigate Chan. However, some people who have never investigated Chan have also attained enlightenment. Some who have never cultivated the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (七觉分, qijuefen), or the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (四念处, sinianchu) have also severed the view of self and realized fruition. Taking such opportunistic shortcuts and backdoors causes the greatest loss to oneself; the one who will suffer the most in the future is still oneself. This is gaining little while losing much.

VII. Over-Familiarity with Dharma Meaning Hinders Enlightenment

Studying the Dharma is for realizing the Dharma. To realize the Dharma, one cannot let consciousness become overly familiar with the Buddha Dharma. Why say this? Because if consciousness becomes overly familiar, it feels it already understands, is disdainful of, and uninterested in carefully contemplating and investigating further. This leads to superficial Chan talk (口头禅, koutouchan), a state of seeming understanding that is actually an obstacle to the path. Consciousness is only interested in deeply investigating dharmas it does not fully understand. Manas therefore participates, and only then is there the possibility of realizing the Dharma.

Because many people cannot develop meditative concentration and cannot contemplate and observe deeply and subtly, they have no choice but to repeatedly recite the Dharma meaning over and over, until the Dharma meaning becomes overly familiar, memorized backwards, yet unable to deeply comprehend its connotation, let alone realize it, and thus cannot use it to eliminate deep karmic obstructions. This is very regrettable.

Those who often bury themselves in old books have far less wisdom than those who read little but like to contemplate deeply. The latter speak words they have realized themselves, never repeating others' spittle. The former, when they speak, only echo others' voices, repeating others' words.

VIII. Not Knowing What Ālayavijñāna Means

Not knowing what Ālayavijñāna (阿赖耶识, Alaiyeshi) means is to use consciousness to ponder, study, analyze, and understand. Ālayavijñāna is not understood, imagined, or researched; it must be genuinely realized within meditative concentration, breaking the ignorance of both consciousness and manas. If the ignorance of manas is not broken, the actions of body, speech, and mind will always be ignorant, and moreover, this ignorance will be carried into future lives, remaining ignorance life after life.

Many people turn over and over the words about Ālayavijñāna in texts, dissecting the characters. Chan Patriarchs call this "burrowing into old paper piles" (钻故纸堆, zuan guzhi dui), their eyes almost melting the characters, piercing through the paper. Some compile huge piles of study materials, reading them daily; some can even recite them backwards fluently, very familiar with the words, able to speak them as soon as they open their mouths. Yet, none have truly digested and absorbed that Dharma meaning. Why? No meditative concentration, no realization, no understanding of the true principles, learning only the surface, like memorizing a book.

Which consciousness is being used in such exertion? It's all consciousness analyzing, reasoning, and researching. Without meditative concentration, one cannot penetrate deeply into manas or mobilize manas, and thus cannot make the Dharma one's own; it remains forever parrot-learning. Without meditative concentration, thinking stops as soon as it gets slightly deep; unable to go deeper, it floats on the surface, knowing only superficial knowledge. Therefore, everyone should introspect their own cultivation methods, correct the wrong ones quickly, and get themselves onto the right track of cultivation as soon as possible to attain great wisdom.

IX. Repetition by Consciousness is Not Equivalent to Deliberation by Manas

Question: Is it necessary to constantly repeat actions to make them habits, so that unconscious habits become the "knowing" of manas? Is this correct?

Answer: Repetition, repetition again. Without meditative concentration, no matter how many times repeated, if manas does not effectively think and deliberate on the repeated content, it still does not know the reason why, cannot realize, cannot truly know. With concentration, repetition is unnecessary; the Dharma meaning directly reaches manas, letting manas deliberate by itself. One day, it will deliberate and understand; that is realization.

X. The Deliberation of Manas is Investigation

The Five Aggregates (五阴, wuyin), Eighteen Realms (十八界, shiba jie), and Twelve Entrances (十二入, shi'er ru) all exist due to the aggregation of various causes and conditions; when the causes and conditions disperse, they vanish. Therefore, they are false, unreal, and without self. How to comprehend this principle? Consciousness can think about it and roughly understand, but one knows in one's heart that this is not true understanding; knowing the "what" but not the "why," one still needs to continue to deeply and precisely understand. This requires suspending this principle in the mind during meditative concentration for manas to deliberate. The deliberation of manas does not cling to objects; it has a certain height, called "looking from a high vantage point" (高着眼看, gao zhuo yan kan), also called deep and subtle investigation (深细参究, shenxi canjiu).

XI. Manas Thinking About Problems Leads to Understanding in the Middle of the Night

Question: In the evening, sitting in meditation contemplating the Dharma meaning, even upon getting up from the seat, it's only a seeming understanding, not truly understood. The unresolved problem remains suspended in the mind as one falls asleep. In the middle of the night, one suddenly understands. At the moment of understanding, the mind is exceptionally clear and bright, excited to the point of being unable to sleep. Who understands in the middle of the night?

Answer: If the contemplated problem is relatively deep and remains suspended in the mind, it means manas is also participating in the deliberation. If no conclusion is reached, no understanding achieved through contemplation, consciousness becomes fatigued, shifts attention, or ceases. Manas, however, continues to deliberate. At some unknown time, manas will have deliberated and clarified this problem.

Many problems are considered more clearly at night than during the day. Why? Because there are fewer disturbances; manas is relatively focused and participates more in the deliberation. Grasping (攀缘, panyuan)—is it consciousness grasping or manas grasping? It is manas grasping. But because there is no cooperation from the six consciousnesses, the grasping of manas decreases. Therefore, after the six consciousnesses quiet down, manas can concentrate and deliberate on a single problem alone. At night, without the six consciousnesses, manas grasps less; the six consciousnesses do not disturb manas with the information they discern. Manas then begins to ruminate, concentrating on contemplating the Dharma meaning that consciousness could not understand through thinking, making it possible to suddenly understand the Dharma meaning in the middle of the night.

XII. The Process of Realization by Manas

In the concentration before the first dhyāna (未到地定, weidao di ding) or in the first dhyāna (初禅定, chuchan ding), consciousness transmits the process and result of its reasoning of a certain Dharma meaning according to principle to manas. Manas, after careful deliberation, proves and confirms the cognition of consciousness. Alternatively, consciousness and manas may not arrive at a conclusion that accords with principle and reality; there is no result. Manas, based on the clues provided by consciousness, deliberates and investigates alone, finally arriving at a conclusion that accords with reality. This is realization (证, zheng). The realization of manas cannot be separated from meditative concentration. Without concentration, manas becomes scattered and grasping, unable to concentrate on deliberation and investigation, and thus cannot genuinely realize. However, the thinking and understanding of consciousness can occur with or without meditative concentration; the requirement for concentration is not high because the wisdom power (慧力, huili) of consciousness is greater than that of manas.

In the preliminary process of conscious thinking and observation (观行, guanxing), one must observe directly (现量观察, xianliang guancha). The more direct the observation, the greater the inspiration for manas. Manas, in many cases, finds it difficult to cognize dharmas even when consciousness observes them directly, let alone when they are not directly observed. The inferential (比量, biliang) and erroneous (非量, feiliang) thinking, imagination, and speculation of consciousness cannot make manas cognize and agree. The inferential and erroneous thinking of consciousness has little effect on manas; manas is not easily convinced or persuaded. Manas relies on the direct observation of consciousness, then activates its own deliberative nature. Once it deliberates and understands, it agrees and realizes; if it does not deliberate and understand, it remains something consciousness alone knows.

For example, consciousness clearly knows that the physical body (色身, seshen) changes very quickly year by year: a person grows from childhood in the blink of an eye, then grows into youth and prime adulthood in another blink. Especially upon reaching middle and old age, due to the state of mind, one feels time passes even faster, fearing premature death, cherishing life very much. Why cherish life and fear time passing quickly? It's all because one knows the physical body will eventually perish; it is not forever free from aging, sickness, and death; one knows it is impermanent. Sometimes one also feels it is suffering. But what use is this knowing by consciousness? Manas never pays attention or deliberates on it. Therefore, life after life, things remain as they are, and the cycle of birth and death is inevitable. Many things known by consciousness are useless; manas does not know them, so actions remain unchanged; nothing can be altered in the slightest.

Therefore, the realization of manas is crucial and important. It is the ruling consciousness (作主识, zuozhu shi) connecting past, present, and future. Birth, death, and rebirth are decided by it. Severing afflictions and ignorance is decided by it. Liberation is decided by it. Buddhahood is also decided by it. In cultivation, nothing is more important than manas. Although the eighth consciousness (第八识, diba shi) is more important than manas, cultivation does not involve cultivating the eighth consciousness. Without manas, the eighth consciousness accomplishes nothing; the eighth consciousness alone is useless. The accomplishment of all dharmas relies entirely on the driving force of manas. Therefore, the dharmas contemplated by consciousness must be infused into manas, letting manas deliberate, weigh, choose, and reject, letting manas also realize the Dharma. Only then do the actions of consciousness have merit, have results, have karmic retribution.

XIII. The Perpetual Scrutinizing Deliberation Nature Reveals the Important Role of Manas in Chan