Section Two: The Mental Factor of Attention (Manaskāra)

I. How the Mental Factor of Attention in Manas Arises

Question: The attention of the manas in ordinary beings always corresponds with greed and hatred, without exception. How does the pure manas of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas engage in attention? Without the motivating force of greed, hatred, or desire, how does manas engage in attention? Can manas engage in attention while in a state of equanimity (upekṣā) or in a morally indeterminate state (avyākṛta)?

Answer: The attention of manas is triggered not only by afflictive mental factors such as greed and hatred but also by the mental factor of desire (chanda). Desire can be wholesome, unwholesome, or morally indeterminate. Wholesome desire is great vow-power; unwholesome desire is the affliction of greed, hatred, and delusion. Part of manas's attention is also habitual attention, arising from the inertial function of manas.

Original text from the *Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra*: How does proper attention arise? It arises due to four causes: 1) The power of desire (chanda-bala). 2) The power of mindfulness (smṛti-bala). 3) The power of the object (viṣaya-bala). 4) The power of habituation (abhyāsa-bala). What is "due to the power of desire"? It means that where the mind has attachment and affection, attention arises frequently there. What is "due to the power of mindfulness"? It means that where one has already well apprehended the characteristics and has formed a strong mental image, attention arises frequently there. What is "due to the power of the object"? It means that when an object is either extremely vast or extremely agreeable and is directly present, attention arises frequently there. What is "due to the power of habituation"? It means that where one has become extremely accustomed and familiar with an object, attention arises frequently there. If it were otherwise, there should be only one instance of attention towards a single object at all times.

This explains the conditions for the arising of the mental factor of attention: desire, mindfulness, the object, and habituation. The reason manas grasps at objects is essentially due to desire and mindfulness. Maitreya Bodhisattva has explained this very clearly: without desire and mindfulness, attention cannot occur. Especially the desire and mindfulness of manas—only after manas attends can the six consciousnesses arise, and only then can the six consciousnesses engage in attention. By what does manas grasp? It is by the power of desire and the power of mindfulness. Without the power of desire and the power of mindfulness, it would be without mind, unwilling to grasp any object, not giving rise to attention towards dharmas, and subsequent dharmas would not appear. If manas lacks the mental factor of desire, how could the six consciousnesses manifest the mental factor of desire? If manas lacks desire, how could all dharmas appear? Even the Buddha's manas has the mental factor of desire, let alone ordinary beings. The five sense consciousnesses all have the mental factor of conviction (adhimokṣa); manas certainly has conviction. Without conviction, how could manas comprehend the discerned information from the six consciousnesses, comprehend all the objects and dharmas it experiences, and how could it respond and react?

The arising of the five universally operating mental factors is guided and based on the power of desire and the power of mindfulness. The power of desire and the power of mindfulness in manas are the fundamental driving force for the manifestation of all dharmas. Additionally, there is the habitual and inertial function of manas. When it lacks desire and mindfulness, it habitually grasps and attends, so we unconsciously see forms, hear sounds, smell fragrances, and feel touches, even when the mind consciousness sometimes does not wish to cognize these dharmas. A detailed explanation follows:

1. The power of desire: This refers to manas's greed and affection for an object, so that the conscious mind can continuously attend to this object, continuously give rise to volition (cetanā) and decision-making (niścaya), and the tathāgatagarbha must continuously give rise to new objects and mental activities.

2. The power of mindfulness: This refers to manas continuously grasping the characteristics of an object and continuously cognizing it, so that the conscious mind can continuously give rise to the mental factor of attention towards the object, ultimately leading to continuous mental deliberation and decision-making, and the tathāgatagarbha must continuously cooperate to produce subsequent mental activities and objects. This means that without desire and mindfulness, the conscious mind cannot attend, especially the desire and mindfulness of manas. Only after manas attends can the six consciousnesses arise, and only then can the six consciousnesses engage in attention.

3. The continuous attention of manas is also due to the overwhelming power of the object, which compels the conscious mind to attend to it, and thus the tathāgatagarbha cooperates to produce subsequent mental activities and objects.

4. For objects that are frequently encountered and very familiar, manas attends to them more, the mental factor of volition (cetanā) continuously arises, and the tathāgatagarbha continuously produces subsequent mental activities and objects. The power of habituation in manas is extremely strong. Having been habituated to the same dharmas over countless lifetimes or beginningless kalpas, in future lives when encountering these dharmas and objects, it continuously attends and grasps, its power being immense. If the mind consciousness is not strong, it cannot control it. For example, habits like greed for desires, overeating, excessive sleeping, craving for wealth, etc., are like this.

If it is not due to these four conditions, manas can grasp fewer objects, attend to fewer dharmas, deliberate and discern a single dharma, and do so at all times. Therefore, the grasping nature also refers to the habitual attention of manas. To cultivate concentration (dhyāna), one must control and change the habitual attention of manas, subduing its grasping nature.

Whether karmic seeds ripen or not is not necessarily related to the attention of manas. The tathāgatagarbha naturally knows whether karmic seeds have ripened, and then the tathāgatagarbha begins to produce corresponding conditions, giving rise to corresponding dharmas according to the operation of the karmic seeds.

II. How the Mental Factor of Attention Arises

The attention of the conscious mind towards dharmas is a very complex process; observing it clearly is extremely difficult. Initially, attention towards a dharma is at the seed stage, meaning when the consciousness seed has not yet been projected and the conscious mind has not yet arisen. When a consciousness seed is about to arise, it needs a place to arise, a direction of attention; this direction and location are the object of attention, the locus of the dharma.

For example, when playing basketball and aiming to throw the ball into the basket, the eyes must aim towards the direction of the basket; one cannot throw in another direction. This direction is equivalent to the locus of attention, i.e., the basket. Here, the basketball is equivalent to the consciousness seed, the person's eyes are equivalent to the conscious mind, and aiming is equivalent to attention. When holding the ball, the target should be towards the basket; when throwing, the hand must aim towards the basket, needing preparation in that direction to throw. Similarly, before a consciousness seed arises in the tathāgatagarbha, it also needs a direction to arise. All consciousness seeds have attention before they arise. When a conscious mind arises at a certain locus, on a certain dharma, it must attend to that locus of the dharma.

After the consciousness seed arises, the conscious mind continues to attend uninterruptedly. Because when the conscious mind continuously operates on a certain dharma, it must continuously attend to that dharma. If it stops attending, the projection of the consciousness seed must shift direction, and other mental factors—contact (sparśa), sensation (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), and volition (cetanā)—cease to arise. Therefore, for the discernment of a certain dharma to continue, the conscious mind must continuously attend; once it stops attending, there is no subsequent contact, sensation, perception, or volition. The mental factor of attention is crucial; without it, other mental factors do not arise, and for that dharma, there is no function of the conscious mind.

III. The Attention of Manas is One of the Conditions for the Operation of Mind Consciousness

In the discernment of all dharmas and the study of the Buddha Dharma, the seven consciousnesses all give rise to the mental factor of attention, with the attention of manas being primary, as it triggers the attention of the six consciousnesses. The attention of manas has prerequisites; it requires certain conditions, and depending on the conditions, its attention differs. For objects of interest, it attends with greed; for objects disliked, it attends by immediately avoiding them; for objects deemed unimportant, it attends but does not proceed to contact.

Manas attends everywhere and at all times. Attention varies in intensity and duration, which influences the arising of mind consciousness. The prerequisites for the arising of mind consciousness are: the eighth consciousness, the attention of manas, karmic seeds, its own consciousness seeds, and the mental object (dharmāyatana). When manas contacts the mental object, it gives rise to the mental factor of volition (cetanā), desiring to specifically discern the mental object; only then does the eighth consciousness give rise to mind consciousness to discern the mental object. If manas does not attend—meaning it does not notice or value the mental object—it will not give rise to volition desiring to discern the mental object, and thus the eighth consciousness will not actively give rise to mind consciousness to discern the mental object.

Manas grasps all dharmas; it can grasp all dharmas. The mental factors of attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition also follow manas moment by moment. However, manas can choose: some mental objects it does not attend to, some it must attend to. Important mental objects receive prolonged attention, repeated attention, focused attention, and then repeated contact, sensation, perception, and volition, focused deliberation, repeated deliberation, and prolonged deliberation. Consequently, mind consciousness must repeatedly and continuously discern and attend, contact, sense, perceive, and deliberate for extended periods.

The activities and mental processes of mind consciousness must revolve around manas, obey manas, and be directed by manas. What manas deems important, mind consciousness must discern emphatically; what interests manas, mind consciousness must continuously discern. What manas pays little attention to, mind consciousness discerns lightly; what manas wishes to avoid, mind consciousness inevitably avoids and does not discern, and the eighth consciousness does not give rise to mind consciousness. However, due to the immense inertial power of manas, even for mental objects that mind consciousness desperately wishes to avoid and not discern, and that manas also wishes to avoid, the inertial power prevents avoidance, and the mental object inevitably appears in the mind consciousness.

Some objects of the six senses, which the six consciousnesses do not wish to discern at all, still enter the minds of the six consciousnesses. This is because of the pervasive grasping nature of manas, its deeply ingrained habits; trying not to grasp and striving to avoid grasping is still impossible. Sometimes, the more effortfully one tries to avoid, the more one fails to avoid and even intensifies the discernment. This is because the inertial power of manas is too strong; it unconsciously contacts the mental object and attends to it. Often, it is not even interested in the objects of the six senses but grasps and attends aimlessly. Habitual, aimless attention is the distraction of manas, leading to the distraction of mind consciousness, making it impossible to collect body and mind and settle into tranquility. Such manas requires continuous guidance from mind consciousness, constant admonishment and transformation, to gradually tame it.

IV. What Manas Relies on to Give Rise to Attention Towards Dharmas

The attention of manas relies on: 1) Its habitual inertia, tending to notice frequently encountered, familiar dharmas, easily giving rise to attention; 2) Manas may attend aimlessly, due to habits of distraction and grasping; 3) Manas easily gives rise to attention towards dharmas of interest; 4) Manas easily gives rise to attention towards important, significant dharmas; 5) Manas gives rise to attention due to greed for certain dharmas; 6) Manas gives rise to attention due to afflictions like hatred; 7) Manas gives rise to attention towards dharmas it needs; 8) Manas easily attends to suddenly appearing dharmas, and so on.

After manas attends, the mental factors of contact, sensation, perception, and volition may not operate; perhaps volition does not arise, and manas does not decide what to do; perhaps perception does not operate, and manas does not grasp the object; perhaps sensation does not operate, and manas does not wish to feel, having no interest in the object. Initially, if the preceding mental factor does not arise, the subsequent mental factor need not arise.

V. How Manas Attends to Cause Its Own Cessation

At the time of death, a wisdom-liberated Arhat no longer grasps at the three realms, no longer attends, no longer decides to perceive dharmas, does not wish to perceive dharmas, does not wish to create karma. When the five universally operating mental factors cease to function, manas necessarily ceases. Therefore, when manas does not attend, contact, sense, perceive, or deliberate, the tathāgatagarbha does not cooperate to produce dharmas. When manas has no desire or mindfulness towards the three realms, it necessarily does not attend, contact, sense, perceive, or deliberate. The conscious mind can no longer operate; the functions of the five aggregates cease. Thus, manas ceases. As long as manas has mental activity, has desire, and has a grasping nature towards the dharmas of the three realms, the five universally operating mental factors will continue to function, manas cannot cease, the five aggregates and eighteen elements will continuously arise, and sentient beings will continuously undergo birth and death in the three realms without end.

VI. What is Uninterrupted Attention?

"Interruption" (間) means interval or break; "uninterrupted" (無間) means continuous, without interval or break. "Attention" (作意) means causing the mind to notice a dharma, directing the mind towards the dharma, focusing on the dharma. Attention is one of the five universally operating mental factors of the conscious mind; all eight consciousnesses have attention and can direct themselves towards a certain dharma, focusing on a certain dharma.

Is the attention of the eighth consciousness uninterrupted or interrupted? We know that all dharmas are produced and sustained by the eighth consciousness. If the eighth consciousness ever ceased attending to a certain dharma, it would not operate on that dharma, not produce seeds for that dharma, and that dharma would necessarily disappear and perish. Therefore, as long as a certain dharma exists, the attention of the eighth consciousness must continuously operate without interruption. However, the existence of all dharmas depends on two factors: 1) The eighth consciousness spontaneously producing them based on ripened karmic seeds; 2) The attention and grasping of manas. Therefore, sometimes the attention of the eighth consciousness is triggered by the attention of manas. Once manas ceases attending, the eighth consciousness ceases to produce and sustain that certain dharma, and that dharma necessarily disappears. Therefore, the existence of a certain dharma must also involve the operation of the mental factor of attention in manas. As long as a certain dharma continuously exists, the mental factor of attention in manas must be operating continuously and uninterruptedly; otherwise, that dharma would necessarily disappear.

Thus, it is said that the attention of the eighth consciousness can be uninterrupted, and the attention of manas can be uninterrupted. Can the attention of mind consciousness be uninterrupted? We know that mind consciousness is interrupted many times throughout the day; it always ceases involuntarily. If mind consciousness has uninterrupted attention, it is only sustained for a period; it cannot be uninterrupted for twenty-four hours a day. Even during a period of uninterrupted attention in mind consciousness, it is entirely due to the uninterrupted attention of manas. Once manas ceases attending, the eighth consciousness ceases to project the seeds of mind consciousness, and mind consciousness necessarily disappears from that dharma.

Therefore, only under the condition of uninterrupted attention in manas can mind consciousness have uninterrupted attention for a period. In reality, most of the time, after attending for a while, mind consciousness becomes fatigued, becomes distracted, and ceases; it cannot attend for very long. The attention of the five sense consciousnesses is even more so. Without the attention of manas and without the attention of the eighth consciousness, the six consciousnesses could not attend even for an instant. The six consciousnesses all depend on the eighth consciousness and manas to manifest and operate; they are not independent and cannot act autonomously.

Once manas has formed uninterrupted attention towards a certain dharma, it means it has been successfully influenced by mind consciousness. It will then automatically and consciously direct the six consciousnesses to act according to the principles it has realized. Consequently, mental activities necessarily change, and bodily, verbal, and mental actions necessarily change, without requiring further supervision or reminders from mind consciousness. Only when manas has not been successfully influenced is it necessary for mind consciousness to continuously supervise, remind, and regulate it—this is because manas is not yet conscious, not yet influenced, and has not yet realized the dharma.

VII. Situations Where Manas Does Not Attend and the Six Consciousnesses Do Not Arise

1. During dreamless sleep: Manas knows the physical body needs rest, does not wish to grasp or cognize anything, does not attend, so the six consciousnesses do not manifest and do not engage in discernment. 2. During the fetal stage: Without fully developed five physical sense faculties and subtle sense faculties (adhipati-indriya), the six sense bases (ṣaḍāyatana) cannot form. The eighth consciousness does not manifest the internal aspect (adhyātmika-pratyaya), manas does not contact the six objects, so the first six consciousnesses cannot arise, and there is no discernment by the six consciousnesses. 3. During unconsciousness: The brain's subtle sense faculties are damaged, the entry of the six objects into the subtle sense faculties is obstructed, the conditions for the arising of the six consciousnesses are incomplete, so discernment does not occur. 4. In the state of non-perception (asaṃjñi-samāpatti): Although the subtle sense faculties are intact, manas does not wish to deeply and subtly discern objects of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, or mind, so the six consciousnesses do not arise. 5. In the state of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti): The mental factors of sensation and perception in manas cease, manas does not grasp at the six objects, so there is no discernment of the six objects by the six consciousnesses.

As long as manas exists, it attends to the objects of the six senses. Even in unconsciousness and in the state of non-perception, it attends, and it relies on the eighth consciousness to attend to the body faculty. Therefore, one can awaken from unconsciousness and emerge from meditative absorption; otherwise, one could not awaken or emerge from the states of non-perception or cessation.

In the middle of the night, when asleep, if an earthquake suddenly occurs, manas also wishes to run. Why can it not run? Because running, this bodily action, must be directed by manas and executed jointly by body consciousness and mind consciousness. If the six consciousnesses cannot arise quickly, manas can only be anxious. When pressured by nightmare demons (yākṣa), manas also wishes to break free. Why can the body not move? Manas wishes to move; why can it not? The mind consciousness still knows the chest feels heavy from the pressure, but it simply cannot move. These situations occur because the six consciousnesses are very weak and lack the strength to deal with the nightmare demons.