Chapter One: Explanation of Concepts Related to Manas

I. The Five Names and Meanings of Manas (Part 1)

Original text from the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana: "The causes and conditions for arising and ceasing refer to the fact that all sentient beings revolve according to the mind, manas, and consciousness. What does this mean? Relying on the ālaya-vijñāna, ignorance and non-enlightenment arise, enabling seeing, manifesting, grasping objects, and continuous discrimination. This is called manas."

Explanation: The arising and ceasing of all dharmas occur due to causes and conditions. These causes and conditions include the three transforming consciousnesses: the ālaya-vijñāna, manas, and consciousness. Among them, manas is the most important cause and condition for the manifestation of all dharmas. Sentient beings revolve according to manas. Although the ālaya-vijñāna is the direct cause for the birth of all arising-and-ceasing dharmas, it is facilitated by manas. Without manas as the cause and condition, the ālaya-vijñāna would not give rise to any dharma. Manas, relying on the ālaya-vijñāna, with its inherent ignorance, perceives all dharmas of the realm born from the ālaya-vijñāna. It then manifests all dharmas of the realm born from the ālaya-vijñāna within the mind, grasps them, continuously discriminates them without ceasing, yet remains utterly unaware of its own ignorance. Such a mind substance is called manas.

Original text: "This manas further has five different names. The first is called karmic consciousness (karma-vijñāna). It means that due to the power of ignorance, the mind moves without awareness."

Explanation: This manas has five different names. The first name is karmic consciousness (karma-vijñāna). Manas is the master of creating karma. Because there is ignorance and no awareness of this ignorance, the power of ignorance causes manas to move, initiating mental activity. After mental activity arises, subsequent contact, sensation, perception, and volition appear. After manas makes a decision, the bodily, verbal, and mental karmic actions of the six consciousnesses are created, leaving behind karmic seeds to be experienced in future lives, thus perpetuating the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, manas is called karmic consciousness, corresponding to karmic force, karmic seeds, and birth and death. Of course, through cultivation, it can correspond to emptiness, purity, tranquility, and liberation. Thus, cultivation means cultivating manas, severing the view of self, realizing the mind and seeing its nature, transforming consciousness into wisdom, attaining the all-encompassing wisdom of consciousness-only, and ultimately achieving Buddhahood.

Since manas corresponds to karmic force and karmic seeds, the pure karma of severing the view of self is upheld by manas. The pure karma of realizing the mind and seeing its nature is upheld by manas. Only if manas severs the view of self and realizes the mind and sees its nature can it uphold such pure karmic seeds; otherwise, manas cannot uphold them, and there will be no such pure karmic results in future lives. Similarly, the karmic seeds of evil deeds are also upheld by manas. Manas must have an evil mind to create evil karma and uphold the seeds of evil karma until future lives. Therefore, manas possesses all afflictive mental factors and also possesses all wholesome mental factors.

Original text: "The second is called transforming consciousness (pravṛtti-vijñāna). It means that relying on the moving mind, it can perceive the characteristics of objects."

Explanation: The second name of manas is called transforming consciousness (pravṛtti-vijñāna). "Transforming" means revolving or functioning. Relying on the power of ignorance, manas can cause dharmas to flow out and function from the ālaya-vijñāna. When manas moves, the ālaya-vijñāna immediately gives rise to objects, and manas perceives the characteristics of the objects. When the mind moves again, the six consciousnesses arise, creating karmic actions, the functions of the five aggregates manifest, and the cycle of birth and death in future lives continues unbroken. Objects and the five aggregates all appear due to the movement of manas; birth and death also arise due to the movement of manas. Therefore, manas is the switch that turns all dharmas; manas is the transforming consciousness.

Original text: "The third is called manifesting consciousness (pratibhāsa-vijñāna). It means manifesting all characteristics of objects, like a bright mirror reflecting all forms and images. The manifesting consciousness is also like this; just as the five objects appear immediately upon contact, without sequence, without requiring effort."

Explanation: The third name of manas is called manifesting consciousness (pratibhāsa-vijñāna). This "manifesting" means presenting. After manas perceives all dharmas, it presents all dharmas; all dharmas manifest as images within the mind of manas. Manas relies on the ālaya-vijñāna; whatever objects the ālaya-vijñāna manifests, manas can discern them, and they manifest within its mind. It is like a bright mirror manifesting all characteristics of objects. For example, the images of the five dusts (sense objects), as soon as manas contacts them, immediately manifest the images of the five dusts. When the ālaya-vijñāna gives rise to objects, manas almost simultaneously, without sequence, presents the objects within the mind, without deliberate processing.

Why say "images of the five dusts" and not "images of the six dusts" or "images of the mental dust"? Here, the "five dusts" essentially include the six dusts, which encompass the mental dust, with the five dusts representing them all. This is an abbreviated way of speaking. Otherwise, one would have to say form dust and the mental dust on it, sound dust and the mental dust on it, smell dust and the mental dust on it, taste dust and the mental dust on it, touch dust and the mental dust on it, which is very cumbersome. Therefore, it is simplified to "five dusts."

Generally, it is said that manas contacts the mental dust, giving rise to mental consciousness. But how do the five consciousnesses arise? Some might say the five consciousnesses arise when the five sense faculties contact the five dusts. However, the five sense faculties are material dharmas, not mental dharmas, not consciousness minds. How can they actively contact the five dusts with the agency of a consciousness mind? Essentially, the contact of the five sense faculties with the five dusts is still facilitated by the initiative of manas. Manas directs the five sense faculties to contact the five dusts, giving rise to the five consciousnesses, while simultaneously contacting the mental dust, giving rise to mental consciousness. Since manas is the director, it also contacts the images of the five dusts. After contact, it presents the complete images of the six dusts. After making decisions, it gives rise to the six consciousnesses to discern and process the images of the six dusts. The six consciousnesses discern some of the six dusts' images but not others; this is the decision-making and directing function of manas.

II. The Five Names and Meanings of Manas (Part 2)

Original text: "The fourth is called discerning consciousness (jñāna-vijñāna). It means discriminating all defiled and pure dharmas and their distinctions."

Explanation: The fourth name of manas is called discerning consciousness (jñāna-vijñāna). It can discriminate all dharmas that are defiled and pure, such as good and evil, right and wrong, and can distinguish the characteristics of all dharmas. The Awakening of Faith states that manas is the discerning consciousness, which is absolutely correct. A master consciousness representing the fundamental nature of sentient beings determines everything for sentient beings. If the master consciousness of the five-aggregate body lacked such wisdom, then the five aggregates would lack wisdom, and there would be no wise people in the world. To say that manas has inferior wisdom is not entirely correct. When specifically discriminating overly detailed and subtle mental dust, manas is indeed inferior to mental consciousness, hence the need for mental consciousness. Once manas gains the ability to discriminate subtle mental dust, mental consciousness and the five consciousnesses become unnecessary. Manas directly takes over the functions of the six consciousnesses, "abandoning consciousness and using the root" (the fundamental consciousness, manas). Then there are no more troubles, no more obstructions, and great spiritual powers manifest.

Original text: "The fifth is called continuous consciousness (saṃtāna-vijñāna). It means constantly engaging in mental activity, corresponding without interruption, upholding past good and evil karmas without loss or destruction, maturing present and future karmic results such as suffering and happiness without violation, suddenly remembering events that have been experienced, and falsely discriminating events that have not been experienced."

Explanation: The fifth name of manas is called continuous consciousness (saṃtāna-vijñāna). Manas is called the continuous consciousness because its five universal mental factors (contact, sensation, perception, volition, and attention) operate continuously without interruption. Consequently, the ālaya-vijñāna continuously produces and operates all dharmas according to manas, causing the five-aggregate world to appear continuously. When this life ceases, the next life arises, birth after birth without end. Thus, all good, evil, defiled, and pure dharmas continuously manifest according to manas. Good and evil karmas do not cease, and their karmic results do not perish. Moreover, manas can mature the karmic results of suffering and happiness in the present and future, without violating the principles of cause and effect. Events experienced by manas throughout countless lifetimes since beginningless time can suddenly be recalled when conditions arise, and events not yet experienced can also be falsely discriminated.

Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa stated that manas can uphold good and evil karmas, preventing the loss or destruction of karmic seeds, and can mature karmic results. This meaning is very profound and significant. The bodily, verbal, and mental actions created by the six consciousnesses are stored as seeds in the ālaya-vijñāna, which upholds and contains them. Secondly, they are upheld by manas and carried to future lives. What does "uphold" (任持, rèn chí) mean? Upholding means to bear, to carry, to take responsibility for the karmic actions.

Why must karmic actions be borne and taken responsibility for by manas? Because manas is the master consciousness, the ruler of the five-aggregate body, the master and instigator of all karmic actions. The six consciousnesses only play supporting roles; they are not the masters. The ālaya-vijñāna is certainly not the master of karmic actions; it does not initiate karma. Therefore, after karma is created, all karmic actions are the responsibility of manas, who bears the karmic results. The six consciousnesses cannot bear the karmic actions because they are not the masters, and they perish at death, unable to carry karmic seeds to future lives. Since all dharmas are initiated by manas, the good and evil of karmic actions reflect the good and evil of manas. Manas possesses all wholesome and unwholesome mental factors, corresponds to karmic actions and karmic seeds, and carries these wholesome and unwholesome mental factors into future lives. Therefore, cultivation means cultivating manas, influencing manas, and transforming manas.

Manas can also mature the karmic results of good, evil, suffering, and happiness, corresponding to cause and effect. Some may ask: Aren't karmic results matured by the ālaya-vijñāna? The ālaya-vijñāna only manifests matured karmic seeds, realizing karmic results. However, it does not mature karmic results or karmic seeds. Only when the karmic conditions are complete and the karmic seeds are mature can the ālaya-vijñāna manifest the matured karmic seeds, and karmic results appear. Maturing karmic seeds and karmic results is not the function of the ālaya-vijñāna; it is the function of manas. Manas carries karma; when external conditions arise, karmic results appear.

The Awakening of Faith states here that manas has the function of recollection. This statement is extremely correct because manas is also a mind, and an extremely important one at that, playing an extremely important role. Manas has experienced all dharmas. Since it has experienced them, of course it can recollect them and prompt mental consciousness to recall the past based on this recollection. Therefore, manas has the mental factor of recollection (念, smṛti); it recollects and remembers all dharmas. Only the master will remember and recollect all dharmas. When it needs to handle something, it summons assistants to handle the specifics. The assistants do not appear constantly; they only appear when needed by the master.

The connotations and meanings of the five names of manas are profound, containing vast information. They overturn many people's previous unreasonable understandings of manas and also overturn the understandings of ancient and modern masters of Consciousness-Only. After all, the meaning of manas belongs to the category of the all-encompassing wisdom of Consciousness-Only (唯识种智). Those without realization in Consciousness-Only cannot directly observe manas; misunderstandings are inevitable. Historically, the first Bodhisattva authenticated by the World-Honored One and recorded in texts to have attained the First Ground (初地) was Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva, followed by Asaṅga Bodhisattva, and then Aśvaghoṣa Bodhisattva. It is said that Ānanda also entered the First Ground, but he did not transmit the Dharma of Consciousness-Only. Among Chan masters, there might be others who entered the First Ground but did not transmit the Dharma of Consciousness-Only. However, when first entering the Ground, their all-encompassing wisdom of Consciousness-Only is not deep, and their power of observation regarding Consciousness-Only is not strong, so they cannot yet transmit the Dharma of Consciousness-Only.

Apart from these, others who transmitted the Dharma of Consciousness-Only have no recorded evidence of having attained the realization of a First Ground Bodhisattva. Therefore, their written works on Consciousness-Only have flaws and errors; the Dharma meanings are not entirely correct and can only serve as references, not to be fully accepted. Among the Consciousness-Only treatises, the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana by Aśvaghoṣa Bodhisattva has a very high level of realization. It can truly observe the mental factors of manas. Its translator, Śikṣānanda Bodhisattva, also had a high level of realization, translating precisely and truthfully. This is a trustworthy Consciousness-Only treatise.

III. The Meaning of Manas as the Manifesting Consciousness

The manifesting consciousness (pratibhāsa-vijñāna) means a consciousness of direct perception (现量识, pratyakṣa-vijñāna). It means directly perceiving dharmas, directly recognizing dharmas, or directly presenting dharmas. Although manas, like the tathāgatagarbha, has the function of manifesting images like a mirror, the images manifested by the tathāgatagarbha are images it itself produces, while the images manifested by manas are presentations of the images transformed by the tathāgatagarbha; manas does not transform the images. The relationship between the tathāgatagarbha (the mirror) and the images is one of producer and produced. The producer must necessarily be an unarisen and unceasing dharma, while the produced is arising, ceasing, and changing. However, the relationship between manas and the images is not one of producer and produced; both are produced dharmas. Moreover, the images presented by manas are fundamentally different from those manifested by the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha manifests the essential realm (本质境, svabhāva-ālambana), the most original dharmas it transforms and creates. The images manifested by manas are the reflected image realm (带质境, artha-pratibhāsa-ālambana), a secondary transformation of the dharmas by the tathāgatagarbha, which is no longer real.

Why is manas called a consciousness of direct perception? Because manas perceives dharmas that are present, perceiving dharmas as they are. It lacks the function of inferential (比量, anumāna) or erroneous perception (非量, abhūta-parikalpa). The moment the tathāgatagarbha manifests a dharma, manas can perceive it directly; this is the reflected image realm, close to the essential realm, relatively real and reliable. After manas perceives the reflected image realm, if it wants to discern it in more detail, it passes the dharma to the six consciousnesses to perceive. Then what the six consciousnesses perceive is no longer the relatively real reflected image realm; they perceive dharmas that have already undergone alteration. The dharmas they manifest are one layer further removed from the essential realm and true reality, more illusory than the dharmas perceived by manas. Moreover, mental consciousness perceives dharmas through inference and erroneous perception; the dharmas it manifests are even more unreal.

Comparing it to the connotation of the manifesting consciousness, the tathāgatagarbha perceives dharmas even more directly, more real and reliable than manas. Whatever dharmas the tathāgatagarbha perceives are dharmas it itself presently produces and upholds. There is not the slightest obstruction between it and the dharmas. It produces what it perceives and upholds what it perceives. If it doesn't produce, it doesn't perceive; if it doesn't uphold, it doesn't perceive. There is no inference or erroneous perception. For the tathāgatagarbha, there are no past dharmas, no future dharmas; all are present dharmas. Even dharmas from countless eons ago are present dharmas. For the six consciousnesses, however, they are not present dharmas. In fact, the six consciousnesses cannot perceive present dharmas; whatever they perceive are dharmas that have already changed, dharmas of the past.

IV. What is Karmic Force?

Karmic force is also called the habitual force of karmic actions, divided into wholesome karmic force, unwholesome karmic force, and neutral karmic force. For example, a car is driven at full speed towards a dangerous place ahead. The speed is very high. The driver realizes the danger ahead and feels he should slow down, brake, and change direction. However, the speed does not decrease; he cannot brake or change direction for two reasons. 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 power to act is weak. The other reason is the car's inertia is too great, or the brakes have failed. These two reasons cause the car to continue speeding towards the dangerous place.

Although many things are realized, they are not necessarily achievable. Realization means mental consciousness knows, but mental consciousness knows yet cannot act because manas has not made a decision. How can it be achieved? The "car" of the sentient being's five aggregates, driven by the immense unwholesome karmic force from beginningless time, moves inertially towards the three evil destinies. Who is the driver or owner of the car? Of course, it is the master consciousness, manas. To escape the path leading to the three evil destinies and turn towards the three wholesome destinies or the Pure Land of the Buddhas, the driver or owner of the five-aggregate "car" is crucial. Why does manas drive the car towards the three evil destinies? Some say mental consciousness is driving. Then when mental consciousness ceases, is the five-aggregate car still running or stalled? If mental consciousness is drunk, how is the car handled? Mental consciousness can only be a co-pilot, a navigator, guiding and urging the driver to steer the wheel.

Sentient beings head towards the three evil destinies because they have the three fetters (三缚结, trīṇi saṃyojanāni), binding the five-aggregate car to the path to the three evil destinies. Actually, it is the three fetters of the driver manas that cause it to drive on the path to the three evil destinies. Therefore, so-called karmic force mainly refers to the karmic force of manas. If manas severs the view of self and severs the three fetters, it will change direction and drive the car onto the wholesome path.

When facing objects of the six dusts, karmic force manifests. For example, in the face of wealth and sensual desires, the manas of different sentient beings has different karmic forces, different habitual forces for dealing with wealth and sensual desires. If the force of unwholesome karma is strong, it will greedily grasp wealth and sensual desires. If the force of wholesome karma is strong, it will disregard wealth and sensual desires, even practice generosity with them. If neutral, it will follow conditions and take the middle way. When sentient beings' karmic force manifests, all exhortations are like wind past the ears, unheard, unheeded. If the force of wholesome karma is strong, even in adverse circumstances, they remain undefiled, do not follow the crowd, and maintain a pure mind. Those who remain undefiled in the mud are called Bodhisattvas. If manas does not change its unwholesome karmic force, does not subdue afflictions, wanting to sever the view of self, sever the three fetters, and escape the three evil destinies is absolutely impossible. The Four Right Efforts (四正勤) – to cease evil and cultivate good – must be well practiced. If evil is not ceased and good is not perfected, the three evil destinies cannot be avoided.

V. What is Contact (触, sparśa)?

Contact means touching or encountering, divided into intentional contact and unintentional contact. Unintentional contact is the touching of objects. Intentional contact is the contact of a consciousness mind; it is the mental factor of contact. Only with contact can subsequent discernment occur. Meeting allows mutual recognition; without meeting, there is no recognition or understanding. Manas contacting the mental dust is intentional contact. After mental consciousness arises, the three (manas, mental consciousness, and mental dust) combine and contact each other. If there is no contact, there is no mental consciousness, nor subsequent discernment. At this time, manas contacts both the mental dust and mental consciousness. Mental consciousness contacts both the mental dust and manas. Therefore, mental consciousness discerns the mental dust and also knows the thoughts of manas. Manas roughly discerns the mental dust and also knows the thoughts of mental consciousness. The mental dust is simultaneously contacted and discerned by both manas and mental consciousness. Manas then further discerns the mental dust based on the discernment of mental consciousness, gaining clear knowledge of it.

However, the contact of the six consciousnesses is divided into intentional contact and unintentional contact. Intentional contact involves attention (作意, manaskāra) first – which is having intention – then contacting the intended object. Unintentional contact is contacting the object first, then paying attention. This is unintentional contact, contact entirely initiated by manas after it has made a decision, usually sudden contact, without preparation.

VI. The Wisdom of Equality of Manas

The seventh consciousness (manas) possesses the Wisdom of Equality (平等性智, samatā-jñāna) at the initial mind of the First Ground (Pramuditā-bhūmi, 极喜地). This means that upon entering the mind of the First Ground, the seventh consciousness transforms consciousness into wisdom, attaining a portion of the Wisdom of Equality. The seventh consciousness, through cultivating the six pāramitās of a Bodhisattva, after realizing the mind and attaining enlightenment, possesses prajñā wisdom. As prajñā wisdom increases, it attains the subsequently attained wisdom (后得智, prṣṭhalabdha-jñāna). Through cultivating the path, it attains the first dhyāna, severs afflictions, successively passes the "Yangyan Barrier" (阳炎关) and the "Like a Dream Barrier" (如梦关), attains the Nirvāṇa with Remainder (有余涅槃), cultivates Consciousness-Only, attains a portion of the all-encompassing wisdom of Consciousness-Only, enters the First Ground, the sixth consciousness initially transforms consciousness into wisdom, attaining the initial portion of the Wonderful Observing Wisdom (妙观察智, pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna), and the seventh consciousness initially transforms consciousness into wisdom, attaining the initial portion of the Wisdom of Equality. These two consciousnesses undergo three transformations of consciousness into wisdom before Buddhahood. When ignorance and defilements are completely severed, all becomes pure wisdom. The eighth consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses respectively transform into the Great Mirror Wisdom (大圆镜智, ādarśa-jñāna) and the Wisdom of Perfect Accomplishment (成所作智, kṛtyānuṣṭhāna-jñāna), perfecting the Buddha Way.

A First Ground Bodhisattva severs the nature of an ordinary being (异生性, pṛthagjanatva), enters the Tathāgata's family, and becomes a true child of the Buddha. This is an extremely great transformation in learning the Buddha's path, a very strong landmark, causing immense joy within, hence called the Ground of Supreme Joy (Pramuditā-bhūmi). The Wisdom of Equality of the seventh consciousness is transformed during the cultivation process in the Three Sagely Stages (三贤位) after realizing the mind. It is the sign of successfully turning towards reliance on the eighth consciousness (转依, āśraya-parāvṛtti). The seventh consciousness realizes the equality of the eighth consciousness: although the karmic results of all sentient beings differ, the cause presenting these results – the eighth consciousness – is equal, therefore their nature is equal. Thus, it truly severs the notions of person, self, sentient beings, and life span, truly realizing that all sentient beings are essentially equal and will ultimately become Buddhas. The mind of the seventh consciousness gradually gains equality, severs afflictions, transforms consciousness into wisdom, and then enters the First Ground.

Therefore, at the initial moment of realizing the mind, the seventh consciousness and the sixth consciousness must simultaneously realize the mind to possess prajñā wisdom, to both sever the four notions, to both sever afflictions, to pass the Three Barriers of Chan, to both realize the Yangyan Barrier and the Like a Dream Barrier, to both sever the nature of an ordinary being, to both attain the First Ground Bodhisattva's portion of the all-encompassing wisdom of Consciousness-Only, to both realize the true suchness nature of all dharmas, to both realize a portion of the One True Dharma Realm (一真法界), and to both ultimately achieve Buddhahood.

The seventh consciousness of an Arhat does not have the Wisdom of Equality because Arhats have not realized the mind and attained enlightenment; they lack prajñā wisdom and Consciousness-Only wisdom. However, they also possess some equality, but the basis of this equality differs from that of a First Ground Bodhisattva. Arhats see all sentient beings as empty and selfless; their minds have severed all afflictions and severed the four notions. From this perspective of emptiness, the seventh consciousness sees all sentient beings as equal, but it cannot see all dharmas as equal. It does not know that all dharmas are of the nature of the eighth consciousness, are of true suchness nature, are the One True Dharma Realm. Therefore, it lacks the Wisdom of Equality.

Looking at the entire cultivation path of an Arhat, the wisdom of the pure Dharma eye (法眼净) from the first fruit (Sotāpanna) to the fourth fruit (Arhat) is simultaneously attained by both the seventh and sixth consciousnesses. Otherwise, they could not sever afflictions, enter Nirvāṇa with Remainder and Nirvāṇa without Remainder, nor sever the four notions. If the seventh consciousness, manas, cannot sever the view of self, it cannot sever the ignorance and afflictions, birth and death cannot end, the dust and toil of the three realms cannot be escaped, the cycle of rebirth cannot stop, suffering cannot cease, and cultivation is meaningless.

VII. What Does "Manas Internally Grasps the Ālaya-vijñāna as Self" Mean?

This means that manas grasps the functions of the ālaya-vijñāna as its own functions, unaware that they are the functions of the ālaya-vijñāna. Along with the dharmas perceived by the ālaya-vijñāna, it considers all these dharmas to be "self" and "belonging to self," unaware that they are born from the ālaya-vijñāna, belong to the ālaya-vijñāna, and are essentially of the nature of the ālaya-vijñāna. Therefore, manas becomes attached to the functions of the ālaya-vijñāna, fond of them, delights in them, and clings to them. Because manas has these attachments and cravings, it is bound and cannot attain liberation, thus having birth and death that cannot be relinquished. Manas fundamentally does not know what the ālaya-vijñāna is, so it is not grasping the ālaya-vijñāna itself, but mistakenly believes that all functions produced by the ālaya-vijñāna are its own functions, that all dharmas belong to itself, thus generating attachment.

What are the functions of the ālaya-vijñāna? Nothing more than the functions of the operation of the five aggregates and eighteen elements (十八界), nothing more than the functions of all worldly dharmas. Manas takes all these functions to be "self" and "belonging to self." This misunderstanding only begins to slowly resolve after realizing the ālaya-vijñāna. When manas realizes the ālaya-vijñāna, it, along with mental consciousness, observes that the functions of the five aggregates and eighteen elements are all born from the ālaya-vijñāna, are functions of the ālaya-vijñāna, not functions of the manas "self." Thus, it gradually severs the attachment to self. Continuing to realize that all other dharmas are functions of the ālaya-vijñāna, not functions of the manas "self," it gradually severs attachment to dharmas, ignorance is gradually exhausted, it attains unsurpassed Nirvāṇa, and achieves great liberation.

Animals all have attachment to self and dharmas; which of them knows there is an ālaya-vijñāna? They merely take the functions produced by the ālaya-vijñāna, the dharmas born from it, as their own. What manas grasps is only the dharmas born from the ālaya-vijñāna; how could it be grasping the ālaya-vijñāna itself? Studying the Dharma is not parsing words; one cannot get entangled in the literal meaning; one must deeply contemplate its profound and ultimate meaning. Most people study the Dharma with very superficial mental consciousness thinking, never cultivating concentration to contemplate deeply. Therefore, so many people cultivate the study of the Small Vehicle's teachings on suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self, yet finally conclude that "the five aggregates are not different from the eighth consciousness" – this logic is incoherent. What ordinary person holds the view that the five aggregates are the eighth consciousness? Anyone holding this view is not an ordinary person; fundamentally, there is no need to further contemplate to sever the view of self or to realize the eighth consciousness.

VIII. What Does "Manas Grasps the Perceiving Aspect (见分, darśana-bhāga) of the Eighth Consciousness as Self" Mean?

The eighth consciousness can perceive all dharmas; manas, following the eighth consciousness, can also perceive all dharmas. However, the characteristics of all dharmas perceived by manas and the eighth consciousness are different; the perceived content differs. The eighth consciousness perceives non-worldly characteristics, while manas perceives worldly dharmas characteristics. Manas, relying on the perceiving aspect of the eighth consciousness, perceives all dharmas and then considers all these dharmas to be "self," to "belong to self." This is the view of self (我见, satkāya-dṛṣṭi), including the view of a person as self (人我见) and the view of dharmas as self (法我见).

Because of this view of self, manas grasps all these dharmas, unwilling to relinquish them, universally conceptualizing and clinging. Therefore, manas is also the consciousness of universal conceptualization (遍计所执识, parikalpita-vijñāna). Sentient beings first have the view of self, then attachment to self. Due to ignorance, manas does not understand that all dharmas are born from the eighth consciousness, all belong to the eighth consciousness, all possess the attributes of the eighth consciousness. Relying on the eighth consciousness to perceive all dharmas, it mistakenly believes all dharmas are its own, belonging to itself. This misunderstanding has continued from beginningless time until now. If this misunderstanding is not eliminated through contemplation, the view of self cannot be severed, the suffering of birth and death cannot cease, and the cycle of rebirth will not stop.

IX. The Relationship Between Manas and the Five Aggregates

Manas is both independent of the five aggregates and not independent of them; it both combines with the five aggregates and does not combine with them; it can both separate from the five aggregates and does not separate from them. Why is this so? Manas is not independent of the five aggregates because all its thoughts, ideas, and intentions must be realized and completed through the five aggregates. Therefore, manas takes the five aggregates as "self." The operation of the five aggregates, in turn, enhances and stimulates the thoughts of manas, causing the five aggregates to revolve around manas, and manas to revolve around the five aggregates, entangled together, inseparable.

Manas can be completely independent of the five aggregates because: (1) Before the initial establishment of the world, there were no five aggregates; only the eighth consciousness and manas existed. (2) At the moment of death (正死位), when the five aggregates cease, only the eighth consciousness and manas exist. (3) At the stage of the fertilized egg (受精卵位), before the five aggregates arise, only the eighth consciousness and manas exist. (4) In the cessation samādhi (灭尽定), within the five aggregates, only a subtle form aggregate exists; the aggregates of sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness of the six consciousnesses do not exist; the eighth consciousness and manas exist unaffected. (5) During unconsciousness and other periods, within the five aggregates, only a subtle form aggregate and consciousness aggregate exist, while the eighth consciousness and manas exist unaffected. (6) When an Arhat first emerges from the Nirvāṇa without Remainder (无余涅槃), only the eighth consciousness and manas exist; the five aggregates have not yet appeared. Therefore, manas can be completely independent of the five aggregates but cannot be independent of the eighth consciousness. (7) Even when the five aggregates exist, manas can completely have its own mental activities independent of the five aggregates; these mental activities do not arise because of the five aggregates.

In the continuous operation of the five aggregates, manas also has an independent aspect from them. Manas takes the five aggregates as itself, or as its own possessions, as tools to realize its thoughts and intentions, implying independence from the five aggregates. The five aggregates have the attributes of the eighth consciousness because they are transformed by the eighth consciousness using the seven great elements (七大种子). They everywhere display the information of the eighth consciousness; in fact, the five aggregates in their entirety are the eighth consciousness. But to say the five aggregates have the attributes of manas is because the five aggregates conform to the habits of manas; they are the result of manas's ignorance.