Section Three: The Mental Factor of Adhimukti (Resolute Conviction)

I. The Manas Must Have Adhimukti to Make Decisions

The consciousness conveys the intention to diligently learn Buddhism to the manas (seventh consciousness), and conveys the understanding of the Dharma to the manas. Only after the manas fully comprehends and has adhimukti (resolute conviction) can it agree with the ideas and thoughts of the consciousness, and decide to practice diligently. Whether the consciousness can practice diligently depends on the manas; only when the manas wishes to be diligent can the consciousness be diligent. The reason the consciousness can successfully influence the manas is because the manas has adhimukti regarding the content contemplated and discerned by the consciousness, and has adhimukti regarding the choices and judgments made by the consciousness. Only then can the manas make decisions based on this.

The manas receives and knows all the thoughts and mental states of the consciousness moment by moment, but receiving them does not necessarily mean understanding or having adhimukti. The manas of ordinary people cannot have adhimukti regarding all the discerned content and mental activities of the consciousness, especially those without meditative concentration (dhyāna). For example, the consciousness may understand that all dharmas are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows. The consciousness may say this all day long, but if the manas does not comprehend it, the consciousness says one thing while the manas does another, remaining unmoved and ignoring the consciousness's theories. Then, what the consciousness says is merely empty talk, having no practical use. Such empty talk, even if shouted daily by the consciousness, if the manas does not comprehend it, sentient beings remain ordinary people. It is only upon reaching the Bodhisattva's stage of the Ten Dedications (Dashabhumika), just before entering the First Ground (Prathama-bhūmi) and becoming a sage, that the manas suddenly realizes that the world of the five aggregates is like a dream, illusion, bubble, and shadow, and finally has adhimukti regarding the consciousness's theories and slogans.

It is evident that profound Dharma is difficult and strenuous for the manas to attain adhimukti towards, because the obscuration of ignorance (avidyā) is too heavy. While the manas might attain adhimukti regarding some mundane dharmas analyzed and understood by the consciousness, there are some it still cannot. If the manas cannot attain adhimukti regarding the content contemplated and analyzed by the consciousness, it cannot agree with any decision made by the consciousness, the consciousness cannot influence the manas, and thus the manas cannot give rise to wisdom, cannot change itself, and cannot eliminate afflictions (kleśa) and ignorance.

The manas can also attain adhimukti regarding dharmas directly manifested by the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna). When the eighth consciousness causes karmic seeds to manifest and karmic conditions arise, if the manas lacks adhimukti regarding this, it cannot immediately take action or respond quickly. If a car is coming towards it and the manas has no adhimukti regarding this event, it will not know there is danger and thus cannot decide to dodge immediately. Sentient beings would never be able to avoid danger or live out their natural lifespan. The eighth consciousness constantly manifests the condition of the physical body. After the manas perceives this, if it attains adhimukti, it will promptly take effective measures to deal with the situation of the physical body. If the manas cannot attain adhimukti regarding the abnormal condition of the physical body, the abnormality remains hidden and is not addressed in time. Only when the situation becomes obvious and the consciousness feels extreme discomfort, and the manas attains adhimukti regarding the consciousness's discomfort, will it take measures to handle it.

II. Animals' Manas Also Has Adhimukti

The manas of animals also has adhimukti, hence they have intuitive reactions, which are often more acute than those of humans. If a disaster is imminent, when karmic conditions manifest, the manas attains adhimukti regarding its significance, knowing it can harm itself. Thus, the manas decides to flee, and animals exhibit various abnormal reactions. Animals' consciousness also observes, though they cannot speak or express it. When the consciousness observes and reaches a conclusion, the manas can attain adhimukti and comprehension, then take corresponding action. Animals can understand each other's thoughts; they coordinate actions, sometimes very harmoniously. These coordinated actions are initiated by the manas's decisions. Therefore, the manas of animals can mutually attain adhimukti regarding each other's mental states, gazes, expressions, and body language. Of course, this is attained through the analysis and judgment of their consciousness minds, leading to decisions and reactions.

III. Evidence that Manas Has Adhimukti (Part 1)

The manas possesses adhimukti. If it did not, when major events suddenly occur, the manas could not accurately discern them and take effective emergency measures. For example, if a car is about to hit it, after the manas attains adhimukti, it immediately mobilizes the physical body to avoid danger, thus enabling the body to urgently dodge the car. If the manas lacks adhimukti, all the objects of the six sense consciousnesses (vijñāna) discerned and conveyed to it cannot be precisely known, so it cannot make appropriate decisions or correctly direct the six consciousnesses to take the next step. If the manas lacks adhimukti, all the Dharma learned by the consciousness, no matter how much it is studied, is useless. The manas cannot understand it, nor can it store seeds of adhimukti; in future lives, it still will not comprehend, rendering the consciousness's learning futile. However, after the consciousness continuously influences the manas, the manas will also understand, approve, and make correct decisions. This is the result of the manas attaining adhimukti.

If the manas lacks adhimukti, the consciousness's learning of the Four Noble Truths and the Dharma of non-self (anātman) cannot influence the manas, and the manas can never sever the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and self-attachment (ātma-grāha). If the manas lacks adhimukti, the consciousness's learning of the principle of Prajñā (wisdom) cannot influence the manas, and the manas can never realize Prajñā, cannot eliminate ignorance to attain Prajñā wisdom, cannot transform consciousness into wisdom (jñāna), and even less can it reach the Buddha ground (Buddhahood) to ultimately transform all eight consciousnesses into wisdom. Therefore, the manas necessarily possesses adhimukti.

IV. Evidence that Manas Has Adhimukti (Part 2)

To sufficiently influence and guide the manas, the consciousness must diligently contemplate (cintā) and observe (vipaśyanā). Without contemplation and observation, it is impossible to truly and correctly guide the manas. The consciousness mind, regarding the dharmas it encounters, can sometimes understand them as they truly are – the most reasonable understanding, the most thorough understanding – without misunderstanding, erroneous understanding, or misinterpretation. If there is erroneous understanding, there is no adhimukti, and thus no way to make correct and flawless decisions. Actions based on this will inevitably be wrong and have serious consequences. If the manas lacks adhimukti, can the consciousness's contemplative observation and understanding guide the manas? Can the manas be influenced? Clearly not. No matter what the consciousness does, the manas simply does not attain adhimukti; the consciousness's performance is utterly useless. Therefore, whenever the manas is influenced, it means it has been affected, meaning it has attained adhimukti regarding the information transmitted by the consciousness.

If the manas lacks adhimukti, no information transmitted by the consciousness is useful. Then, the manas would also not decide to let the consciousness help it discern any dharmas, because after discernment, the manas still wouldn't understand. The manas would not decide to discern and would gradually become quiet, like being blind, deaf, and mute. In reality, the manas very much likes to let the consciousness discern and judge, which shows that the manas must have attained adhimukti regarding the discerned content of the consciousness. Only then does it continuously prompt the consciousness to discern, differentiate, think, and judge, then make its own decisions, and subsequently produce corresponding actions of body, speech, and mind.

If I teach the Dharma and you never attain adhimukti, then my teaching is in vain, your learning is in vain, yielding no results, and perhaps we even hinder each other. If someone speaks to you and you cannot attain adhimukti, you will distort their meaning and cannot make a reasonable and normal response. Two people cannot communicate; communication is useless. Thus, people cannot interact or deal with each other and cannot live in the same space. Among the seven consciousnesses, whichever consciousness lacks adhimukti cannot correctly interpret the corresponding dharmas and cannot make correct and appropriate decisions. The result is like a blind person who cannot walk; the consciousness mind cannot function normally.

The five sense consciousnesses also have adhimukti. Can the five sense consciousnesses understand the Buddha Dharma? Do animals' consciousness minds have adhimukti? Do all animals learn Buddhism? If animals' adhimukti were entirely inferior to humans, how could they accurately and timely catch prey? How could they survive? In reality, give your pet dog a glance or an expression, and the dog instantly understands, carrying out the command without a word. Humans are even more so. All sentient beings' actions of body, speech, and mind are decided by the manas. Since it can make correct decisions enabling the five-aggregate body (pañca-skandha) to function normally, the manas must necessarily possess this mental factor of adhimukti. Not only do the six consciousnesses have adhimukti, the manas has even greater adhimukti than the five sense consciousnesses; it is much more astute.

If the manas cannot attain adhimukti, and the consciousness says, "I should go east," if the manas does not comprehend, it will either go west or not move at all. In the end, not only will things not get done, but one will also be very frustrated, potentially leading to mental derangement. If a car is speeding towards it and the manas cannot attain adhimukti regarding the urgency of the situation, it cannot dodge immediately. What is the result? If boiling water scalds the hand and the manas cannot attain adhimukti regarding the body's condition, it will keep getting scalded until the body consciousness cannot bear it, and the manas still doesn't know what's happening. What would be the result?

The manas is like the president of a country. What it cannot do personally, it lets its assistants do; it doesn't need to handle everything itself. But if one says the president is nothing, has very low wisdom, cannot attain adhimukti, cannot have desire (chanda) or recollection (smṛti), nor concentration (samādhi), then think: can this country be good? Belittling the president is like belittling the entire nation. If a car's engine rusts and doesn't work, isn't the car just a pile of scrap metal?

Practice is not about reciting texts; it is the solid practice of wisdom observation. If one cannot manifest direct perception (pratyakṣa) through observation, saying anything is futile. To manifest direct perception of the various mental factors (caitta) and consciousnesses also requires considerable meditative power (dhyāna-bala) and observational wisdom. At the very least, the consciousness and manas must have already transformed consciousness into wisdom. Reciting others' words also requires wisdom. Without the wisdom of direct perception through observation, one wouldn't know if they recited it wrong. Even if recited correctly, it's merely coincidental.

V. The Self-Witnessing Portion (Svāsaṃvitti) and Self-Witnessing Portion of Self-Witnessing (Svāsaṃvedana) Prove that Manas Has Adhimukti

These dharmas of Consciousness-Only (Vijñapti-mātratā) are extremely profound and subtle. Before enlightenment, the distance to being able to manifest direct perception of the wisdom of the specific knowledges of Consciousness-Only (Vijñāna-mātra-jñāna) is almost the length of an incalculable eon (asaṃkhyeya-kalpa). Therefore, no matter how wise someone thinks they are, they should not be overconfident. Since all eight consciousnesses have a self-witnessing portion of self-witnessing (Svāsaṃvedana), capable of verifying the dharmas they discern, it shows that the consciousness mind has adhimukti and possesses a certain level of wisdom. The self-witnessing portion of self-witnessing of the sixth consciousness manifests relatively frequently and obviously, making it easy to observe. Ordinary people also acknowledge that the consciousness has wisdom and extremely strong adhimukti. Foolish people's consciousness has little introspective power; the self-witnessing portion of self-witnessing does not manifest, they lack adhimukti, and cannot distinguish worldly dharmas from supramundane dharmas.

The eighth consciousness has a self-witnessing portion of self-witnessing, indicating it has wisdom and adhimukti. Its adhimukti is reflected in its accurate discernment of karmic seeds, without misunderstanding them, and in their accurate realization without error; it is also reflected in the eighth consciousness accurately and correctly discerning the mental factors (caitta) of the manas, closely cooperating with the manas, fulfilling its needs, and producing all dharmas; the adhimukti of the eighth consciousness is also reflected in its accurate knowledge of the sense bases, body, and world (āyatana, kāya, and dhātu), and then outputting seeds to maintain and change the sense bases, body, and world.

The seventh consciousness (manas) also has a self-witnessing portion of self-witnessing, capable of verifying the dharmas it discerns. This shows the seventh consciousness has adhimukti; it can understand its own cognition and state, corresponding to wisdom, and thus can eventually transform consciousness into wisdom. The adhimukti of the seventh consciousness is reflected in its ability to discern the dharmas manifested by the eighth consciousness and make correct decisions, directing the six consciousnesses to function; it is reflected in the seventh consciousness correctly discerning the dharmas observed and discerned by the six consciousnesses, understanding the results of the consciousness's analysis, contemplation, and judgment, and thus being able to make correct decisions based on this, producing correct actions of body, speech, and mind without error.

When its adhimukti develops to an immense degree, it can transform consciousness into wisdom. When adhimukti reaches its maximum, it can undergo the third transformation of consciousness into wisdom, ultimately accomplishing Buddhahood. It is not said that the manas is still foolish, lacking adhimukti and great wisdom, yet can become a Buddha. If it could, it would become a foolish Buddha. Nor is it said that the manas lacks adhimukti and great wisdom, yet can transform consciousness into wisdom, become a Bodhisattva on the Grounds (Bhūmi), enter the Tathāgata's family, and become a true Buddha-son. If it could, it would become a foolish Bodhisattva.

The five sense consciousnesses also have weak introspective power; they have a self-witnessing portion of self-witnessing and adhimukti within a very limited scope, enabling them to function in accordance with the manas's instructions. However, the adhimukti of the five sense consciousnesses is much inferior to that of the manas, even more so compared to the consciousness, and also inferior to the adhimukti of the eighth consciousness, even though the eighth consciousness cannot attain adhimukti regarding objects of the six dusts (ṣaḍ-viṣaya) or mundane dharmas. When the consciousness lacks wisdom and cannot observe the self-witnessing portion of self-witnessing of these consciousnesses, the self-witnessing portion of self-witnessing of these consciousnesses still exists and functions, regardless of whether the consciousness can observe it or not.

VI. All Seven Consciousnesses Possess the Mental Factor of Adhimukti

Regarding the adhimukti of dharmas, all seven consciousnesses possess it because each consciousness has its corresponding dharmas. If any consciousness cannot attain adhimukti regarding the dharmas corresponding to it, then that consciousness mind cannot correctly recognize its corresponding dharmas, and subsequent functioning will not occur, or all subsequent functioning will be completely disordered. Sentient beings could not live, work, or practice normally; nothing could be discussed. This is true for the six consciousnesses, and even more so for the seventh consciousness. If the sovereign consciousness cannot attain adhimukti regarding its corresponding dharmas, it would be like the world being in great chaos. It would be difficult even to be an ignorant sentient being. Even bacteria can attain adhimukti regarding the situations they face. As for the human and heavenly beings, the higher sentient beings, if the sovereign seventh consciousness cannot attain adhimukti regarding sense objects and other dharmas, how could it regulate the functioning of the five-aggregate body? It cannot be like a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse, dazedly giving commands; such a five-aggregate body could not survive.

For example, consider someone wanting to buy flowers. Going to the flower market and seeing many flowers to choose from, the eye consciousness must have adhimukti regarding the seen flower colors to know what the hues of the flowers are. The consciousness must also have adhimukti regarding the flowers to know if they are vibrant and fresh, and if they are what one wants to buy. The manas must have even greater adhimukti regarding the flowers; it must be even clearer about the flower varieties, colors, prices, etc., that the six consciousnesses see and select. Only then can it finally decide whether to buy or not. If it is unclear or indecisive, it will continue to let the six consciousnesses select and compare until it is completely clear and satisfied, then make the final decision. Only then does the act of buying flowers conclude. It is like this for all dharmas. Regarding the discernment situations of the six consciousnesses, the seventh consciousness manas must be able to attain adhimukti regarding all of them to propel the functioning of all dharmas, preventing disorder and enabling the five-aggregate body to live and work normally.

VII. The Relationship Between the Mental Factor of Adhimukti and the Mental Factor of Prajñā (Wisdom)

The treatises state that adhimukti is the confirmation (abhimukhī-bhāva) regarding an object, knowing the object is the object, believing the object is the object, without error or doubt. For example, when the mind encounters a flower or the moon, it attains adhimukti that it is a flower or the moon, without doubt, able to trust its own understanding, not easily swayed – this is adhimukti. The character "胜" (shèng, superior/victorious) emphasizes the degree of understanding regarding the object, approaching the reality of the object. However, it is not yet the final complete certainty, nor has it realized the reality of the object. Therefore, there is still the subsequent mental factor of prajñā (wisdom). When the mental factor of prajñā manifests, one can then realize the object, be certain of the object, and fully know the object of the flower or the moon.

Adhimukti is equivalent to "knowing the what" (knowing the phenomenon), while prajñā is equivalent to "knowing the why" (knowing the principle). One is understanding (解, jie), the other is realization (证, zheng). Adhimukti is shallow prajñā, the foundation of prajñā. Prajñā is the ultimate, final cognition. In the practice and realization of the Buddha Dharma, the mental factor of adhimukti corresponds to intellectual understanding (解悟, jiewu), while the mental factor of prajñā corresponds to experiential realization (证悟, zhengwu). For intellectual understanding to transform into experiential realization, it must pass through the two stages of the mental factor of recollection (smṛti) and the mental factor of concentration (samādhi). One must firmly imprint the understood Dharma in the mind, recollecting it constantly without forgetting, cultivate meditative concentration (dhyāna), fix the mind on this Dharma to investigate it continuously, until finally the mind opens with certainty and great wisdom manifests – then experiential realization is attained.

Attaining adhimukti regarding flowers and the moon is a mundane matter and seems not too difficult. As long as one possesses the concepts and knowledge of mundane dharmas, the six sense faculties are normal, and there are no obscurations, one will attain adhimukti regarding flowers and the moon. This also contains some relatively shallow understanding-wisdom. However, reaching the level of adhimukti in the Buddha Dharma is not easy. One must possess the relevant knowledge and concepts of the Buddha Dharma, and also practice the Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment (Bodhipakṣikā Dharma), reduce the obscurations of karmic hindrances, before one can attain adhimukti. But there is still a considerable distance to realization; one must also perfect certain causal conditions to smoothly realize it.