A Guide to the Cultivation and Realization of the Mind: Part Two
Chapter 1: Explanation of Concepts Related to the Manas
I. The Meanings of the Five Names of the Manas (Part One)
Original text of the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna (Mahāyāna-śraddhotpāda-śāstra): 生灭因缘者。谓诸众生。依心意识转。此义云何。以依阿赖耶识。有无明不觉起。能见能现。能取境界。分别相续。说名为意。
Explanation: The arising and ceasing of all dharmas manifest due to causes and conditions. These causes and conditions include the three transformative consciousnesses (parināma-vijñāna): the Ālayavijñāna, the manas, and the mind consciousness. Among them, the manas is the most important condition for the manifestation of all dharmas; all sentient beings transmigrate in dependence upon the manas. Although the Ālayavijñāna is the direct cause for the birth of all conditioned dharmas of arising and ceasing, it is brought about by the manas. Without the manas as cause and condition, the Ālayavijñāna would not give birth to any dharma. The manas, relying on the Ālayavijñāna, together with the ignorance of its own mind, sees all the realm-dharmas born by the Ālayavijñāna, then manifests within the mind all the realm-dharmas born by the Ālayavijñāna, grasps at all the realm-dharmas born by the Ālayavijñāna, and discriminates them continuously, without the slightest awakening to the fact that it has such ignorance. Such a mind-entity is called the manas.
Original text: 此意复有五种异名。一名业识。谓无明力。不觉心动。
Explanation: Such a manas has five different names. The first name is the karmic consciousness (karma-vijñāna). The manas is the master of karma-creation; because it has ignorance and does not awaken to its own ignorance, the force of ignorance impels the manas's mind to stir and form intentions. After the manas attends (manaskāra), there subsequently arise contact, feeling, perception, and volition. After the manas's mind becomes resolved, the bodily, verbal, and mental karmic actions of the six consciousnesses are carried out, leaving behind karmic seeds to be received as retribution in later lives, and thus birth and death continue without interruption. Therefore the manas is said to be the karmic consciousness, corresponding to the karmic force of ignorance, corresponding to karmic seeds, and corresponding to birth and death. Of course, through cultivation it will correspond to emptiness (śūnyatā), correspond to purity (viśuddha), correspond to tranquility, and correspond to liberation. Therefore cultivation means cultivating the manas: eradicating the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), seeing the mind and seeing its nature (enlightenment), transforming consciousness into wisdom, possessing the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only (vijñapti-mātratā), and finally attaining buddhahood.
Since the manas corresponds to karmic force and to karmic seeds, the pure karma of eradicating the view of self is retained by the manas, and the pure karma of seeing the mind and seeing its nature is retained by the manas. Only when the manas itself eradicates the view of self and sees the mind and its nature can it retain such pure karmic seeds; otherwise the manas cannot retain them, and there will be no such pure karmic retribution in later lives. By the same principle, the karmic seeds of unwholesome karma are also retained by the manas. Only when the manas's mind is unwholesome can it create unwholesome karma and retain the seeds of unwholesome karma into later lives. Therefore the manas possesses all the afflictive mental factors (caittas) as well as all the wholesome mental factors.
Original text: 二名转识。谓依动心。能见境相。
Explanation: The second name of the manas is the transforming consciousness (pravṛtti-vijñāna). "Transforming" means flowing and transmigrating, and also means operating. Relying on the force of ignorance, the manas can cause dharmas to flow out and operate out of the Ālayavijñāna. When the manas's mind stirs, the Ālayavijñāna will accordingly give birth to realms, and the manas will see the marks of those realms. When the mind stirs again, the six consciousnesses will be born and create karmic actions, and the functions of the five aggregates will become manifest, so that birth and death in later lives continue without end. Realms and the five aggregates all appear following the stirring of the manas's mind, and birth and death also appear following the stirring of the manas's mind. Therefore the manas is the switch that sets all dharmas in motion; the manas is the transforming consciousness.
Original text: 三名现识。谓现一切。诸境界相。犹如明镜。现众色像。现识亦尔。如其五境。对至即现。无有前后。不由功力。
Explanation: The third name of the manas is the manifesting consciousness. "Manifesting" here means presenting. After the manas sees all dharmas, it presents all dharmas, and all dharmas appear as images within the manas's mind. The manas relies on the Ālayavijñāna; whatever realm the Ālayavijñāna transforms, the manas can cognize that realm, and the mind can present that realm—like a bright mirror manifesting all the marks of realms. For example, with the images of the five sense-objects, as soon as the manas makes contact, it immediately presents the images of the five sense-objects. When the Ālayavijñāna gives birth to realms, the manas almost simultaneously, without any sequence of before and after, presents the realms within the mind, without any deliberate processing.
Why is it said to be the images of the five sense-objects, rather than the images of the six sense-objects, or the images of the mental sense-objects? Here the five sense-objects in substance include the mental sense-objects, making six sense-objects, with the five sense-objects as representatives, each of which has its own mental sense-object; this is an abbreviated way of speaking. Otherwise one would have to say "form objects and the mental objects upon form," "sound objects and the mental objects upon sound," "smell objects and the mental objects upon smell," "taste objects and the mental objects upon taste," "touch objects and the mental objects upon touch"—which would be extremely cumbersome, so it is briefly stated as the five sense-objects.
Generally speaking, the manas contacts mental objects and gives rise to the mind consciousness. But how do the five consciousnesses arise? Some would say the five consciousnesses arise from the five faculties contacting the five sense-objects. But the five faculties are material form (rūpa), not mental dharmas, not consciousness-minds; how could they actively contact the five sense-objects with the dynamic capacity of a conscious mind? In substance, the five faculties contacting the five sense-objects is still brought about under the manas's direction. The manas directs the five faculties to contact the five sense-objects and give rise to the five consciousnesses, while simultaneously contacting mental objects and giving rise to the mind consciousness. Since the manas is the director, the manas also contacts the images of the five sense-objects, and after contact presents the complete images of the six sense-objects. After making its choice, the six consciousnesses are born to cognize and process the images of the six sense-objects. The six consciousnesses cognize some of the six sense-objects and not others—this is the choosing and directing function performed by the manas.
II. The Meanings of the Five Names of the Manas (Part Two)
Original text: 四名智识。谓分别染净。诸差别法。
Explanation: The fourth name of the manas is the discriminating-wisdom consciousness. It can discriminate all defiled and pure dharmas, such as wholesome and unwholesome, true and false, good and bad (kuśala-akuśala, satya-mithyā, śubha-aśubha), and can distinguish the marks of difference among all dharmas. The Awakening of Faith says the manas is the discriminating-wisdom consciousness, which is absolutely correct. A directing consciousness represents the root of sentient beings and determines everything about them. If the directing consciousness of the five-aggregate body did not have such wisdom, then the five aggregates would have no wisdom, and there would be no wise people in the world. To say the manas has inferior wisdom is not entirely correct. When discriminating extremely subtle mental objects in detail, the manas is indeed not as capable as the mind consciousness—that is why the mind consciousness is needed. But once the manas has the ability to discriminate subtle mental objects, the mind consciousness and the five consciousnesses become unnecessary; the manas directly substitutes its own functions for those of the six consciousnesses, abandoning consciousness and using the faculty, and then there are not so many troubles, not so many obstructions, and great supernatural powers manifest.
Original text: 五名相续识。谓恒作意。相应不断。任持过去。善恶等业。令无失坏。成熟现未。苦乐等报。使无违越。已曾经事。忽然忆念。未曾经事。妄生分别。
Explanation: The fifth name of the manas is the continuing consciousness. The manas is called the continuing consciousness because the five universal mental factors of the manas operate continuously without interruption, so the Ālayavijñāna, following the manas, continuously produces all dharmas and operates all dharmas, and the world of the five aggregates appears continuously—this life ceases, later lives arise, birth following birth without end. In this way, all wholesome and unwholesome, defiled and pure dharmas continuously manifest following the manas; wholesome and unwholesome karma is never cut off, and the karmic retribution of wholesome and unwholesome deeds is never lost or destroyed. Moreover, the manas can ripen the present and future retributions of suffering and happiness, without violating the principles of cause and effect. The events the manas has experienced life after life since beginningless kalpas will, when conditions exist, suddenly be recollected; and events not yet experienced will also be falsely discriminated.
Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa said the manas can retain wholesome and unwholesome karma, not letting the karmic seeds be lost or destroyed, and can ripen karmic retribution. This meaning is extremely profound and its significance extremely great. The bodily, verbal, and mental actions created by the six consciousnesses are, first, stored as seeds into the Ālayavijñāna, held and contained by the Ālayavijñāna; and second, retained by the manas and carried into future lives. What is retention? Retention means to bear and carry, to take responsibility for karmic actions.
Why must karmic actions be borne and taken responsibility for by the manas? Because the manas is the directing consciousness, the sovereign of the five-aggregate body, the master and originator of all karmic actions; the six consciousnesses only play an assisting, cooperating role and are not the master. And the Ālayavijñāna is even less the master of karmic actions—it does not direct the creation of karma. Therefore after karma is created, all karmic actions are the responsibility of the manas, which bears the karmic results. The six consciousnesses cannot bear karmic actions even if they wish: first, they do not direct; second, they cease and perish at death and cannot carry karmic seeds into later lives. Since all dharmas are created under the manas's direction, the wholesomeness or unwholesomeness of karmic actions reflects the wholesomeness or unwholesomeness of the manas. The manas fully possesses all wholesome and unwholesome mental factors, corresponds to karmic actions and karmic seeds, and carries all the wholesome and unwholesome mental factors into later lives. Therefore cultivation is cultivating the manas, conditioning the manas, transforming the manas.
The manas can also ripen the karmic retribution of wholesome and unwholesome, suffering and happiness, corresponding to cause and effect. Someone may ask: Is not karmic retribution ripened by the Ālayavijñāna? The Ālayavijñāna can only manifest ripened karmic seeds and realize karmic retribution; it does not ripen karmic retribution and karmic seeds. Only when karmic conditions are complete and the karmic seeds are ripened can the Ālayavijñāna manifest the ripened karmic seeds, and only then does karmic retribution appear. Ripening karmic seeds and karmic retribution is not the Ālayavijñāna's business but the manas's. The manas has karma following it, and when external conditions manifest, karmic retribution appears.
Here the Awakening of Faith says the manas has the function of recollection, and this statement is extremely correct, because the manas is also a mind, and an extremely important mind, playing an extremely important role. The manas has experienced all dharmas; having experienced them, it can of course recollect them, and it will prompt the mind consciousness to recall the past based on such recollection. Therefore it is said the manas has the mental factor of mindfulness (smṛti) and will recollect and be mindful of all dharmas. Only the master of all dharmas would be mindful of and recollect them; when wanting to process them, the master summons assistants to handle them in detail. The assistants do not appear constantly; they can only appear when the master needs them. When the master does not need them, they do not manifest.
The meanings of the manas's five names are profound and contain a great deal of information, overturning many people's old, unreasonable understandings of the manas, as well as the understandings of consciousness-only treatise masters ancient and modern. After all, the dharma-meaning of the manas belongs to the category of the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only; those without consciousness-only realization cannot observe the manas directly (in perception), so misunderstandings are inevitable. In history, the first bodhisattva at the first bhūmi certified by the World-Honored One and recorded in documents was Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna, next Bodhisattva Asaṅga, and next Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa. It is said that Ānanda also entered the first bhūmi but did not transmit the dharma of consciousness-only. Among the Chan school there may have been other patriarchs who entered the first bhūmi but did not transmit the consciousness-only dharma; it is only that when they first entered the bhūmi, their seed-wisdom of consciousness-only was not deep and their power of observation of consciousness-only was not strong, so they could not yet transmit the consciousness-only dharma.
Apart from these, as for others who transmitted the consciousness-only dharma, there is no documentation proving they had the realization of first-bhūmi bodhisattvas, so the consciousness-only treatises they wrote all have flaws and errors; their dharma-meaning is not entirely correct and can only serve as reference, not to be accepted in full. Among consciousness-only treatises, the Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna written by Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa has extremely high realization; it can observe the mental factors of the manas as they truly are. Its translator, Bodhisattva Śikṣānanda, also had very high realization, and the translation is precise, reasonable, and truthful. This is a consciousness-only treatise worthy of trust.
III. The Meaning of the Manas as the Manifesting Consciousness
The manifesting consciousness means a consciousness of direct perception: seeing dharmas in direct perception, cognizing dharmas in direct perception, or presenting dharmas in direct perception. Although the manas, like the tathāgatagarbha, has the function of manifesting images like a mirror, with the functional capacity to display dharma-images like a mirror, the images manifested by the tathāgatagarbha are images it gives birth to itself, whereas the images presented by the manas are the images transformed by the tathāgatagarbha being presented; the manas does not transform images.
The relationship between the tathāgatagarbha as this mirror and the images is one of giving birth and being given birth to. The one that gives birth must be a dharma that is unborn and unceasing, while the one given birth to is subject to arising, ceasing, and change. But between the manas and the images there is no relationship of giving birth and being given birth to; both are given-birth-to dharmas. Moreover, the images presented by the manas are essentially different from the images manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. What the tathāgatagarbha manifests is the fundamental realm—the most primordial dharma transformed and created by the tathāgatagarbha—whereas the images presented by the manas are subjectively imagined realms, a second transformation of dharmas by the tathāgatagarbha, which are no longer real.
Why is the manas said to be a consciousness of direct perception? Because what the manas sees are dharmas existing presently before it; it sees dharmas as they truly are, and has no function of seeing dharmas by inference or non-valid cognition. In the very first instant the tathāgatagarbha conjures up a dharma, the manas can see it; this is a subjectively imagined realm close to the fundamental realm, relatively real and reliable. After the manas sees the subjectively imagined realm, if it wants further detailed cognition, it passes the dharma to the six consciousnesses to see. What the six consciousnesses see is then no longer the relatively real subjectively imagined realm; what they see is dharma that has already undergone alteration, and the dharma they manifest is one layer further removed from the fundamental realm and the realm of reality, more illusory than the dharma the manas sees. Moreover, the mind consciousness's seeing of dharmas also involves inference and non-valid cognition, so the dharmas it manifests are even less real.
If compared with the meaning of the manifesting consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha's seeing of dharmas is even more a seeing of direct perception, more real and reliable than the manas's seeing; the dharmas it sees never fall into worldly dharma-marks. Whatever dharma the tathāgatagarbha sees is a dharma it itself gives birth to and holds in the present; there is not the slightest separation or obstruction between it and dharmas. Whatever dharma it gives birth to, it sees; whatever dharma it holds, it sees. If it does not give birth, it does not see; if it does not hold, it does not see. Still less does it ever see dharmas by inference or non-valid cognition. For the tathāgatagarbha, there are no past dharmas at all, nor future dharmas—all are present dharmas; even dharmas of countless kalpas ago are present dharmas. But for the six consciousnesses, they are not present dharmas. In fact, the six consciousnesses cannot see present dharmas at all; whatever dharma they see is dharma that has already been altered—dharma of the past.
IV. What Is Karmic Force?
Karmic force is also called the habitual force of karmic actions, divided into the force of wholesome karma, the force of unwholesome karma, and the force of karma that is neither wholesome nor unwholesome. For example, a car speeding at full power toward a dangerous place ahead: the speed is very fast, and the driver's consciousness realizes the road ahead is dangerous and thinks he should slow down, brake, turn around, and change direction. But for two reasons the speed does not decrease, and the car cannot brake or turn at all. One reason is that although the driver is aware, he lacks the power to act, or his mind is unclear, he is flustered, and his capacity for action is weak. The other reason is that the car's own inertia is too great, or the brakes have failed. These two reasons cause the car to keep speeding toward the dangerous place.
Although many things are realized by consciousness, they cannot necessarily be done. Realizing means the mind consciousness knows; but knowing is not the same as doing, because the manas has not made the choice. How can it be done? The vehicle of sentient beings' five aggregates, driven by the enormous unwholesome karmic force accumulated since beginningless kalpas, habitually speeds toward the three evil destinies. Who is the driver or owner of this vehicle? Of course it is the directing consciousness, the manas. To leave the track leading to the three evil destinies, turn around, and head toward the three wholesome destinies, toward the pure lands of the buddhas, the driver or owner of the five-aggregate vehicle is extremely crucial. Why does the manas drive the car toward the three evil destinies? Some say the driver is the mind consciousness. But when the mind consciousness ceases, is the five-aggregate vehicle still running or has it stalled? When the mind consciousness is drunk, how is the car handled? The mind consciousness can only be the co-pilot, the navigator, guiding and urging the driver to hold the steering wheel well.
Sentient beings head toward the three evil destinies because of the three fetters, which bind the five-aggregate vehicle on its journey through the three evil destinies. In fact, it is the manas-driver's three fetters that make the manas drive the car through the three evil destinies. Therefore so-called karmic force mainly refers to the karmic force of the manas. When the manas eradicates the view of self and severs the three fetters, it will turn the direction and drive the car onto the wholesome destinies.
When facing the realms of the six sense-objects, karmic force appears. For example, before wealth and sensual pleasures, different sentient beings' manas has different karmic forces, different habitual forces in dealing with wealth and sensual pleasures. If the force of unwholesome karma is great, one will greedily seize wealth and sensual pleasures; if the force of wholesome karma is great, one will abandon wealth and sensual pleasures without regard, even give them away in generosity (dāna); those neither wholesome nor unwholesome follow conditions and take the middle way. When sentient beings' karmic force manifests, all exhortations are like wind past the ears—not entering the ear, not heard. If the force of wholesome karma is great, one remains in adversity without being defiled, does not join in the corruption, and still maintains a pure mind. One who dwells in the mire without being defiled is called a bodhisattva. If the manas does not change the force of its unwholesome karma and its afflictions are not subdued, then wanting to eradicate the view of self and sever the three fetters and escape the three evil destinies is absolutely impossible. The four right efforts (samyak-prahāṇa) of ceasing evil and cultivating good must be well cultivated; if evil is not ceased and good not complete, the three evil destinies cannot be avoided.
V. What Is Contact?
Contact means touching, colliding, and encountering; it is divided into mental contact and non-mental contact. Non-mental contact is the physical touching of objects; mental contact is the contact of a consciousness-mind, the mental factor of contact (sparśa). Only after contact is there subsequent cognition; when people meet, they come to know each other; without meeting, there is no way to know and understand. The manas's contact with mental objects is mental contact. After the mind consciousness is born, the three then combine in contact—all three mutually contact one another. If there is no contact, there is no mind consciousness and no subsequent cognition. At this time the manas contacts both the mental objects and the mind consciousness, and the mind consciousness contacts both the mental objects and the manas. Therefore the mind consciousness both cognizes the mental objects and knows the manas's intentions, and the manas both roughly cognizes the mental objects and knows the mind consciousness's intentions. The mental objects are contacted simultaneously by both the manas and the mind consciousness, and are cognized simultaneously by both. The manas, through the mind consciousness's cognition, further cognizes the mental objects, and thus has clear knowledge of them.
But the contact of the six consciousnesses is divided into intentional contact and unintentional contact. Intentional contact is when there is first attention (manaskāra)—attention means having mind and intention—and then contact with the attended object. Unintentional contact is contact first and attention afterward; this is contact without mind or intention, contact that occurs after the manas has completely taken charge—generally sudden contact, unprepared contact.
VI. The Manas's Wisdom of Equality
The seventh consciousness has the wisdom of equality (samatā-jñāna) at the first mind-moment of Extreme Joy, meaning that in entering the first-bhūmi mind of the Ground of Extreme Joy, the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom and possesses a portion of the wisdom of equality. After the seventh consciousness, through cultivating the bodhisattva's six perfections, sees the mind and attains enlightenment, it possesses prajñā wisdom; as prajñā wisdom grows, it possesses the wisdom of subsequent attainment. Through cultivating the path it gives rise to the first dhyāna, eradicates afflictions, successively passes the mirage gate and the dream-like gate, and after realizing nirvāṇa with remainder (sopadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), it conditions and cultivates consciousness-only, possessing a portion of the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only, and enters the first bhūmi. The sixth consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, possessing the initial portion of the wisdom of wondrous observation; the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom for the first time, possessing the initial portion of the wisdom of equality. These two consciousnesses undergo three transformations of consciousness into wisdom on the way to buddhahood; when the defilement of ignorance is completely severed and everything becomes light, the eighth consciousness and the five consciousnesses respectively become the great mirror-like wisdom (ādarśa-jñāna) and the wisdom of accomplishing what is to be done, perfecting the buddha path.
First-bhūmi bodhisattvas have eradicated the nature of rebirth in evil destinies (atyaya-bhūmi), entered the home of the Tathāgata, and become true sons of the Buddha. This is an enormous transformation in learning Buddhism and cultivating the path, highly emblematic, and the mind is extremely joyful—hence it is called the Ground of Extreme Joy. The seventh consciousness's wisdom of equality is transformed during the path-cultivation of the three virtuous stages after seeing the mind; it is the mark of successful transformation of the basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) upon the eighth consciousness. The seventh consciousness realizes the equality of the eighth consciousness, constantly observing that although all sentient beings' karmic retributions differ, the eighth consciousness, which is the cause of presenting those retributions, is equal; therefore the marks are also equal. In this way the notions of a person, a self, sentient beings, and a life span are broken through, truly realizing that in substance all sentient beings are equal and will all ultimately become buddhas. The seventh consciousness's mind also gradually comes to possess the nature of equality; after eradicating afflictions and transforming consciousness into wisdom, one enters the first bhūmi.
Therefore at the initial seeing of the mind, it must be that the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness both see the mind simultaneously; only then can they possess prajñā wisdom, break through the four notions, eradicate afflictions, pass the three gates of the Chan school, realize the mirage gate and the dream-like gate, eradicate the nature of rebirth in evil destinies, realize the first-bhūmi bodhisattva's portion of the seed-wisdom of consciousness-only, realize the suchness-nature of all dharmas, realize a portion of the one true dharma realm, and ultimately both attain buddhahood.
The arhat's seventh consciousness has no wisdom of equality, because arhats have not seen the mind and attained enlightenment and do not possess prajñā wisdom or consciousness-only wisdom. But they do have some equality, though the standpoint of their equality differs from that of first-bhūmi bodhisattvas. Arhats see all sentient beings as empty and selfless, having eradicated all afflictions in the mind and broken through the four notions. From this standpoint of emptiness, the seventh consciousness sees all sentient beings as equal, but it cannot see all dharmas as equal, not knowing that all dharmas are of the nature of the eighth consciousness, all of the nature of suchness, all the one true dharma realm. Therefore there is no wisdom of equality.
Viewing the arhat's entire path of cultivation, the wisdom of the pure dharma eye from the first fruit to the fourth fruit is attained simultaneously by the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness; otherwise they could not eradicate afflictions, enter nirvāṇa with remainder and nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa), or break through the four notions. If the seventh consciousness, the manas, cannot eradicate the view of self, it cannot eradicate the afflictions of ignorance; birth and death cannot be ended, the dust and toil of the three realms cannot be escaped, transmigration cannot be stopped, suffering cannot be ceased, and cultivation of the path would be meaningless.
VII. What Does It Mean That the Manas Internally Grasps the Ālayavijñāna as Self?
This means the manas grasps the functions of the Ālayavijñāna as its own functions, not knowing they are the functions of the Ālayavijñāna. Following along with the dharmas seen by the Ālayavijñāna, it considers these dharmas to be self and belonging to self, not knowing they are born by the Ālayavijñāna, belong to the Ālayavijñāna, and are in essence all of the nature of the Ālayavijñāna. Therefore the manas craves the functions of the Ālayavijñāna, delights in the functions of the Ālayavijñāna, enjoys the functions of the Ālayavijñāna, and grasps at the functions of the Ālayavijñāna. Because of these graspings and craving-attachments, the manas is bound and cannot attain liberation, and thus there is birth and death that cannot be abandoned. The manas fundamentally does not know what kind of dharma the Ālayavijñāna is, so it is not grasping at the Ālayavijñāna itself; rather, it mistakenly takes all the functions produced by the Ālayavijñāna as its own functions and all dharmas as belonging to itself, and thus grasping arises.
What are the functions of the Ālayavijñāna? Nothing other than the functions of the operation of the five aggregates and eighteen realms, nothing other than the functions of all worldly dharmas. The manas takes all these functions as self and what belongs to self. This misunderstanding only begins to be gradually dissolved after realizing the Ālayavijñāna. When the manas realizes the Ālayavijñāna, it will observe together with the mind consciousness that the functions of the five aggregates and eighteen realms are all born by the Ālayavijñāna, are the functions of the Ālayavijñāna, not the functions of the self that is the manas; thus it gradually eradicates the grasping of self. Then, successively realizing that all other dharmas are also the functions of the Ālayavijñāna and not the functions of the self that is the manas, it gradually eradicates the grasping of dharmas; ignorance is gradually exhausted, one accomplishes supreme nirvāṇa, and attains great liberation.
Animals all have the grasping of self and the grasping of dharmas—which of them can know there is an Ālayavijñāna? They merely take those functions produced by the Ālayavijñāna, those dharmas it gives birth to, as their own. What the manas grasps are only those dharmas born by the Ālayavijñāna—how could it be grasping at the Ālayavijñāna itself? Studying the dharma is not disassembling words; one cannot circle around on the surface of the text, but must deeply engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on its profound and ultimate meaning. Most people's study of the dharma is very shallow thinking by the mind consciousness; they never cultivate meditative concentration to think deeply and contemplate. That is why so many people cultivate and study the Hīnayāna teachings of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self, yet in the end arrive at the conclusion that the five aggregates are not the eighth consciousness and not different from the eighth consciousness—logic that does not even hold. What ordinary being has the notion that the five aggregates are the eighth consciousness? Whoever has this notion is no longer an ordinary being and would not need to engage in contemplative practice to eradicate the view of self and realize the eighth consciousness.
VIII. What Does It Mean That the Manas Grasps the Perceiving-Aspect of the Eighth Consciousness as Self?
The eighth consciousness can see all dharmas, and the manas, following the eighth consciousness, can also see all dharmas. But the marks of all dharmas seen by the manas and the eighth consciousness are different; the contents seen differ. The eighth consciousness sees non-worldly marks, while the manas sees worldly dharma-marks. Relying on the perceiving-aspect (darśana-bhāga) of the eighth consciousness, after seeing all dharmas, the manas considers all these dharmas to be self and belonging to self. This is the view of self, including the view of a personal self and the view of a dharma-self.
Because of this view of self, the manas grasps at all these dharmas, unwilling to abandon them, universally imputing and grasping—thus the manas is also the consciousness of imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva). Sentient beings all first have the view of self and then the grasping of self. Because of ignorance, the manas does not understand that all dharmas are born by the eighth consciousness, all belong to the eighth consciousness, and all have the attributes of the eighth consciousness. Relying on the eighth consciousness to see all dharmas, it mistakenly takes all dharmas as its own, belonging to itself. This misunderstanding has continued from before beginningless kalpas until now. If this misunderstanding is not eliminated through contemplative practice, the view of self cannot be eradicated, the suffering of birth and death cannot be extinguished, and transmigration will not cease.
IX. The Meaning of "Constant" in the Manas's Constant Deliberative Attention
Since the manas is also a dharma of arising and ceasing, how should the "constant" in its constant deliberative attention (manasikāra) be understood? "Constant" has two meanings: one is unborn and unceasing, existing forever without perishing; the other represents an extremely long time—remaining unchanged over a considerable period, always being so. The first is the constancy of the eighth consciousness, which is absolute, without comparison, unborn and unceasing. The second is the constancy of the manas; the manas's constancy is relative, meaning that so long as the manas does not perish, it forever maintains its deliberation unchanged.
The manas's constancy can extend even to after buddhahood without perishing, so where there is the manas, there exists the manas's deliberative nature. But not extinguishing the manas does not mean the manas cannot be extinguished. Arhats and pratyekabuddhas can all extinguish the manas completely and enter nirvāṇa without remainder; bodhisattvas of the seventh bhūmi and above, as well as all buddhas, can extinguish the manas completely but deliberately do not. The manas is born from the consciousness-seeds transmitted by the eighth consciousness; it depends on the eighth consciousness to be born and to operate; it is not an originally unborn and unceasing dharma. Once the manas no longer grasps at the worldly dharmas of the three realms, the eighth consciousness no longer transmits the manas's consciousness-seeds, and the manas perishes. Therefore the "constant" in the manas's constant deliberative attention is only said relative to the six consciousnesses; it cannot compare with the constancy of the eighth consciousness.
X. The Relationship Between the Manas and the Five Aggregates
The manas is both independent of the five aggregates and not independent of them; it is both in combination with the five aggregates and not in combination with them; it can both leave the five aggregates and not leave them. Why is this so? The manas is not independent of the five aggregates because all its deliberations, all its thoughts and wishes, must be realized and accomplished through the five aggregates; therefore the manas takes the five aggregates as self. And the operation of the five aggregates in turn strengthens and inspires the manas's deliberations, causing the five aggregates to revolve around the manas and the manas to revolve around the five aggregates, entangled with each other, inseparable.
That the manas can be completely independent of the five aggregates is because: (1) Before the world was first established, there were no five aggregates; only the eighth consciousness and the manas existed. (2) In the moment of death, the five aggregates cease, and only the eighth consciousness and the manas exist. (3) In the stage of the fertilized egg, when the five aggregates have not yet arisen, only the eighth consciousness and the manas exist. (4) In the cessation attainment (nirodha-samāpatti), among the five aggregates only a faint aggregate of form exists; the aggregates of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness of the six consciousnesses do not exist, while the eighth consciousness and the manas exist. (5) During unconsciousness and in other periods, among the five aggregates only a faint aggregate of form and aggregate of consciousness exist, while the eighth consciousness and the manas exist unaffected. (6) When an arhat has just emerged from nirvāṇa without remainder, only the eighth consciousness and the manas exist; the five aggregates have not yet appeared. Therefore the manas can be completely independent of the five aggregates, but cannot be independent of the eighth consciousness. (7) Even when the five aggregates exist, the manas can still perfectly well have its own separate mental activities, which do not arise because of the five aggregates.
In the continuous operation of the five aggregates, there is also an independent aspect between the manas and the five aggregates. When the manas takes the five aggregates as itself, or takes the five aggregates as its possessions, as tools for realizing its own thoughts and wishes, this already implies independence from the five aggregates. The five aggregates have the attributes of the eighth consciousness, because they are transformed from the seeds of the seven great elements by the eighth consciousness, displaying the information of the eighth consciousness everywhere; in fact, the five aggregates in their entirety are the eighth consciousness. But if one says the five aggregates have the attributes of the manas, it is because the five aggregates accord with the manas's habitual tendencies and are the product of the manas's ignorance.
