Chapter Fourteen: Mental Factors Associated with the Manas (2)

Fifteen: The Feeling of the Manas

(1) How does the seventh consciousness (manas) manifest when confronting the six sense objects (form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas)? Grasping, greed, aversion, hatred, and so on. Observing the seventh consciousness's response to the six sense objects reveals that the manas is often not in a state of equanimity (upekkhā); its emotions are intense and abnormal, its inner state restless like a monkey. Why is this so? The seventh consciousness knows good and evil, right and wrong, gain and loss, benefit and harm. The manas harbors the notion of "self" (ātman); it inevitably views things from the perspective of this "self," inevitably protects its own interests, and inevitably experiences emotional states of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. When it faces objects with an unsettled mind, it is not in a state of equanimity. If it were in equanimity, the mental state would be peaceful, the mental activity would be non-active (anabhisaṅkhāra), and whatever the object, it would be acceptable, without preference.

(2) Being confined in the womb for a long time and unable to be born is an unwholesome karmic retribution. The Buddha's son, Rāhula, remained in the womb for six years before birth because in a past life, he had blocked a mouse hole for six days, causing the mouse to suffocate and die inside the hole. Consequently, he received the karmic retribution of being confined in the womb for six years. While in the womb, initially there is no consciousness (vijñāna), only the manas and the Tathāgatagarbha. Since confinement in the womb constitutes karmic retribution, the manas must be capable of experiencing this retribution.

When experiencing unwholesome retribution in the womb, the consciousness has not yet arisen. What feeling does the manas experience? If the manas felt comfortable or had no feeling, it would not be called unwholesome retribution. States like coma or being in a vegetative state are also unwholesome retribution or suffering retribution. At such times, there are no six consciousnesses; only the manas experiences the suffering retribution. Therefore, the manas cannot be experiencing pleasant feeling or neutral feeling; otherwise, it wouldn't be called suffering retribution. In the intermediate state (antarābhava), the path ahead is uncertain, and generally, it is a state of suffering feeling. The manas, disliking this suffering feeling, rushes to take rebirth to escape it. At this time, the manas cannot be experiencing pleasant feeling or neutral feeling. What feeling does the manas have when asleep? Who can know? What feeling does the manas have just upon waking? Who can know? What feeling does the manas have when encountering various events? Who can know? These dharmas are extremely profound and subtle; without sufficient wisdom, they cannot be observed directly (pratyakṣa).

Sixteen: Mental Factors Are Mental Nature and Mental Activity

The operation of the mental factors (caitasika) of the consciousness is interconnected with a person's character, temperament, disposition, and wisdom. To understand the operation of mental factors, one can observe a person from the moment they encounter an event until they make a final decision. Their expression, gaze, complexion, speech, behavior, speed of reaction, etc., can reveal the process and speed of each mental factor's operation, as well as the depth of each person's habits and the quality of their wisdom. This series of mental activities reflects both a person's mental nature, habits, afflictions (kleśa), and wisdom, and is also the manifestation of mental factors.

Some people have a quick temper and a coarser mind. After encountering people or events, they only perceive things roughly, regardless of right or wrong and details, assuming their perception is ultimately correct. Then feeling (vedanā) arises – joy, anger, greed, or aversion – with strong grasping (upādāna). Then, without further thought, they make a decision directly. The operation of their mental factors is simple and fast, but the consequences may be unimaginable. Others, after a rough perception and the arising of feeling, will again carefully perceive and analyze, then correct their mistaken perception, change their feeling, and then make a decision. The operation of their mental factors is slightly more complex and may run repeatedly. Many people, as their perception deepens, find their feeling mental factors constantly changing, being swayed by people and things, their minds immersed and unable to transcend.

Rational people often do not develop thoughts or emotions until they thoroughly understand people and things, nor do they easily make judgments or decisions. They do not take their temporary, rough perception as ultimate. They repeatedly observe, discern, and deliberate. Cultivated individuals, even when perceiving liked or disliked objects, remain unmoved, transcendent, and liberated.

Careless people have mental factors that operate quickly and simply. Meticulous people have mental factors that operate slowly, deeply, and complexly. Those with heavy afflictions have mental factors that operate complexly and are entangled. Dull people might perceive quickly, then discover their inability and give up; their mental factors disappear quickly. Or they might try to perceive clearly, causing mental factors to operate extremely slowly, with prolonged perception, prolonged feeling, and prolonged deliberation, yet unable to make a final decision. Intelligent and wise people might perceive clearly very quickly, deeply understanding the essence, or they might be able to perceive with extreme depth and thoroughness, without error.

The operation of mental factors is extremely intricate and complex, closely related to each person's character, temperament, disposition, the weight of their afflictions and attachments, as well as their cultivation, practice, meditation (dhyāna), precepts (śīla), and wisdom (prajñā).

Seventeen: The Operation of the Five Universally Interactive Mental Factors of the Manas

What determines which dharmas the manas attends to (manasikāra)? This issue is discussed in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra. It is caused by the manas's mindfulness (smṛti), desire (chanda), habits (vāsanā), inclinations, thoughts, interests, hobbies, plans, wishes, demands, etc., which trigger the manas's own seed (bīja) of attention. The attention of the six consciousnesses is all aroused and determined by the manas. Wherever the manas intends to function and act, the seeds of the six consciousnesses in the Tathāgatagarbha have a direction for arising; there is an intention to arise towards that object (dharmāyatana). This is attention (manasikāra). Afterwards, the consciousness seeds necessarily arise upon that object.

After the manas attends, whichever consciousness it is, it must come into contact (sparśa) with the corresponding dharma. Because the consciousness seed arises upon a particular dharma, it contacts that dharma. After contact, it receives and accepts it. For example, after the hand contacts a ball, it accepts the ball, receives the ball, and only then can there be sensation, i.e., feeling (vedanā), followed by perception (saṃjñā). For instance, when the eye faculty contacts a form object, it first accepts the form object, then perceives the form object, then grasps (upādāna) this form object, giving rise to thoughts, intentions, plans, schemes, etc. Only after grasping the form object does feeling arise; thus feeling arises after perception. After feeling arises, deliberation (cetanā) continues, followed by subtle discernment, decision-making, and dominance, determining how to handle it.

Before handling it, the manas must complete grasping this dharma. Before grasping, it must perceive clearly; it must first have feeling towards this dharma. After feeling, a decision arises. This decision is the function of the volition (cetanā) mental factor. This decision may not be the final one; it might be an immature, temporary decision. Later, after further detailed perception, feeling confident that everything is clearly perceived, the final decision is made. Then the operation of the seventh consciousness regarding this dharma concludes.

Before the operation regarding this dharma is completely finished, the volition mental factor of the manas will operate continuously until the perception of this dharma is entirely concluded. All the volition mental factors and the five universally interactive mental factors will then cease, and the operation will enter the next dharma, with the five universally interactive mental factors continuing to operate on new content. If this dharma is not concluded, then contact, attention, feeling, perception, and volition will continue to operate repeatedly, providing feedback and constant correction. It is like when we look at an object\: upon first seeing it, we first accept it; after accepting it, wanting to see it clearly, we go to perceive it. At first, it might not be clear, so we contact it repeatedly, feel repeatedly, perceive repeatedly. After perception, the three feelings (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral) arise, then we grasp this appearance, make a decision, and the six consciousnesses are about to initiate karmic action.

Eighteen: How the Attention Mental Factor Arises

The attention of the consciousness towards a dharma is a very complex process, extremely difficult to observe clearly. The initial attention towards a dharma is at the seed stage, meaning the consciousness seed has not yet been projected, and the consciousness has not yet arisen. When the consciousness seed is about to arise, it needs a place to arise, an object of attention; this direction and location is 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 basket's direction; one cannot throw in other directions. This direction is analogous to the object of attention, i.e., the basket. Here, the basketball is analogous to the consciousness seed, the person's eyes are analogous to the consciousness, and aiming is analogous 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 it. Similarly, before consciousness seeds arise in the Tathāgatagarbha, they also need a direction to arise. All consciousness seeds have attention before they arise. When a consciousness arises at a certain location, upon a certain dharma, it must attend to that locus of the dharma.

After the consciousness seed arises, the consciousness continues to attend continuously. Because while the consciousness operates continuously upon a certain dharma, it must attend to that dharma persistently. If it stops attending, then the projection of the consciousness seed must shift direction, and the other mental factors – contact, feeling, perception, volition – will no longer arise. Therefore, the consciousness must continuously attend to the perception of a dharma for it to continue. Once attention ceases, there is no subsequent contact, feeling, perception, or volition. The attention mental factor is crucial; without it, other mental factors do not arise, and there is no functioning of consciousness regarding that dharma.

Nineteen: The Operation of the Five Universally Interactive Mental Factors is Like Copying a Painting

When copying a painting, the eyes repeatedly and continuously observe and perceive the scene. The consciousness, while observing, continuously memorizes. While copying, one paints while continuously recalling, then repeats this process repeatedly until the work is complete and the copying ends. One looks at the scene, paints a bit, ponders a while, paints a bit more, ponders again, repeatedly, until finished. Then the painting is set aside; one no longer ponders, no longer paints, no longer attends, and moves on to the next activity.

The operation of the five universally interactive mental factors is similar to copying. The process of painting is analogous to the principle of consciousness operation. When consciousness operates on a certain dharma, it must complete the operation before letting go of that dharma. When the operation is incomplete, it attends repeatedly, contacts repeatedly, accepts repeatedly, receives repeatedly, perceives repeatedly, knows repeatedly, feels repeatedly, deliberates repeatedly, constantly analyzes and chooses, operates and executes repeatedly; the process is very complex. The sequence of mental factor operation is not necessarily feeling first then perception; the order is not fixed, depending on the consciousness's cognitive wisdom and level. Only after the operation is complete might deeper feeling arise; after feeling, perception may occur again; after perception, feeling may occur again, until the manas feels it has clearly perceived, then it stops attending. If later the manas thinks it needs to understand something more, it will again attend to the dharma, contact, feel, perceive, and deliberate, understand clearly and figure it out, then stop the operation of mental factors on this dharma, and this dharma disappears from the consciousness again.

Sometimes, after deliberation, a decision is made. Sometimes, after deliberation, no decision is made because the manas feels the perception is not clear or thorough enough. As long as the manas does not make the final decision, the five universally interactive mental factors do not conclude until the manas feels satisfied, the goal is reached, it stops deliberating, and immediately decides how to handle it.

Twenty: The Process of the Five Universally Interactive Mental Factors' Operation

The five universally interactive mental factors initially operate in the order of attention, contact, feeling, perception. Later, the order is not fixed; the sequence becomes reversed. The volition mental factor does not necessarily arise at a specific time; the manas does not necessarily make a decision at a specific time. Perhaps many decisions occur in the middle – initially a small decision, a partial decision about some aspect, and only at the end is the overall, final decision made. The intermediate decisions are not ultimate but contribute to the final decision. For example, after eating this mouthful of food, deciding whether to eat the next mouthful, what to eat, how much – volition must make a decision. After the whole meal is finished, volition makes a final decision: "Finished eating, won't eat anymore." Then the five aggregates (skandha) body puts down the bowl and chopsticks. Sometimes, one does not want to eat more, but someone nearby persuades them to eat a bit more. Volition may then be indecisive, so it weighs the pros and cons, then quickly attends to, contacts, feels, and perceives the food eaten and the sensation in the stomach, finally deciding: "Cannot eat anymore," and the meal ends.

Attention is the beginning of mental activity, the start of the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of all dharmas. Without attention, one cannot contact a dharma; without contact, one cannot accept and feel; without acceptance, one cannot perceive; without perception, one cannot deliberate and decide; without decision, there is no bodily, verbal, or mental action. Therefore, attention is important, but volition is even more important; volition has the greatest function, and its process may be the longest. However, when feeling, perceiving, and volition occur, there must be contact; without contact, there is no feeling, perception, or volition, so contact is also crucial. Feeling and perception are the prerequisites and foundation for volition. Without feeling and perception, there is no subsequent bodily, verbal, or mental action; the consciousness becomes still and pure. Therefore, great practitioners only have slight, brief attention towards dharmas. After contact, they do not give rise to feeling, do not seek perception, and thus there is no next step of action or creation; there is neither mind nor activity.

While operating on a dharma, attention persists. When thinking carefully, the six sense objects (ṣaḍ viṣaya) transform into individual mental objects (dharmāyatana). The shift in the focus of the dharma indicates the emergence of another new attention. In the initial process from attention to perception, the operation of attention, contact, feeling, perception, and volition might be extremely brief and rapid, arriving at volition in an instant. Because the perception is unclear, the deliberation is not understood, necessitating renewed attention, contact, feeling, and perception. This process repeats continuously. Observing this process in detail is difficult; even rough observation is quite challenging. However, by observing one's own and others' bodily actions, verbal actions, thoughts, and views, one can also comparatively observe part of it.

Twenty-One: The Participation of the Five Universally Interactive and Five Object-Determining Mental Factors in the Manas's Discernment

Grasping (upādāna) is the function of the perception (saṃjñā) mental factor. Its role is to discern the characteristic (lakṣaṇa), grasp the characteristic, then assign a name to the characteristic. Once named, verbal designation (nāma) appears, and the characteristic and name are accepted. Only after the manas grasps the characteristic can it deliberate and decide how to act. Of course, the five universally interactive mental factors must operate repeatedly before a final decision can be made, after which action can be taken. Therefore, seeing a person hesitate reveals that the consciousness and manas are deliberating, continuously attending, contacting, feeling, perceiving, and volitioning; mental factors operate in turn, and the five object-determining mental factors (adhipati-mahābhūmika) also participate; it is very complex. Thus, the human "brain" is infinitely more complex than a computer; computers are fundamentally incomparable to the human "brain." The so-called "brain" primarily refers to the functional role of the manas, with the six consciousnesses being secondary.

Twenty-Two: When the Manas Constantly Deliberates and Examines, Are There Thoughts in the Mind?

The manas deliberates and examines only when there is a dharma of thought (cintā). First there is thought (smṛti), then deliberation and examination; without thought, there is no deliberation. If the manas's mind is empty, thinking of nothing, there is no mental activity; there is no need to examine or deliberate anything. At this time, the manas is pure. When the manas is not subdued, its tendency to grasp (parikalpa) is strong, and thoughts in the mind are numerous. Therefore, the mind constantly, endlessly deliberates, ponders, examines, judges, and weighs things. If unresolved during the day, it continues examining and deliberating at night; severely, one wakes up in the middle of the night unable to sleep. Hence, it is said that the manas of sentient beings has the nature of constant deliberation and examination (nityavicāra). For Arhats whose manas is already subdued, there are almost no thoughts in the mind; they hardly think about things. The manas only occasionally deliberates, but not constantly; it cannot be called "constant." Therefore, whenever the manas deliberates on a dharma, there is thought; the dharma being deliberated is the thought; it is what the manas thinks of.

Twenty-Three: The Volition Mental Factor of the Manas Determines the Discernment of the Eye Consciousness and Mental Consciousness

The eye consciousness (cakṣurvijñāna) sees visible form (rūpa), specifically the primary colors (varṇa-rūpa): blue, yellow, red, white, light, darkness, clouds, mist, haze, and space (ākāśa). Light is a material substance, composed of the four great elements (mahābhūta), arising and ceasing moment by moment, changing, and is unreal.

The eye consciousness itself possesses the volition (cetanā) mental factor. After receiving the form object, it perceives the form object, then gives rise to volition, deciding to act – whether to avoid it or look longer. The eye consciousness, manas, and mental consciousness (manovijñāna) cooperate closely and simultaneously. Without the attention and volition mental factors of the manas, there is no arising and discernment of the eye consciousness and mental consciousness, nor the operation of the five universally interactive mental factors of the eye consciousness, nor the appearance of the five universally interactive mental factors of the mental consciousness. The eye consciousness sees form; the seventh consciousness cannot see form. The mental consciousness analyzes, reasons, and judges; the seventh consciousness cannot reason or analyze. Consciousness has the nature of discrimination, discernment, and recognition; hence it is called consciousness (vijñāna). Otherwise, it is not called consciousness. All seven consciousnesses have the nature of discrimination, discernment, and recognition.

Twenty-Four: Corrections Regarding Several Statements About the Manas

Question: Some say: "The manas has a strange habit unknown to ordinary people: it often craves the 'flavor' of anger (dveṣa). For example, someone cannot bear others doing well; as long as others are stronger, they give rise to anger. Even more extreme, some even take pleasure in harming the lives of sentient beings. Furthermore, the manas is two-faced: one side is defiled, the other is pure. Therefore, the Yogācāra school calls it the 'basis of defilement and purity' (kliṣṭa-aśubha-āśraya), because one side is the eighth consciousness, the Tathāgatagarbha, and the other side is the six active consciousnesses (pravṛtti-vijñāna). The Tathāgatagarbha it relies on is eternal and pure; the six active consciousnesses it relies on are constantly active and defiled. For this reason, Yogācāra practitioners know the manas as the basis of defilement and purity." Are the above statements appropriate?

Answer: The vast majority of the manas's habits are unknown to ordinary people because ordinary people lack sufficient concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (prajñā) to realize the manas. Even if some realize it, due to the obscurations of afflictions (kleśa-āvaraṇa) and not having transformed consciousness into wisdom (vijñāna-pariṇāma), they cannot observe the manas's operation and cannot accurately know its mental activity. Hence, misunderstandings abound. Those who have not eliminated afflictions, who have not transformed consciousness into wisdom, have a manas fully endowed with all afflictions. The greatest afflictive habits are greed (rāga) and anger (dveṣa). If the manas gives rise to a greedy mental activity, it certainly believes the object of greed is beneficial to itself, likes it, feels comfortable and happy, and satisfies its preferences, interests, and vanity.

When anger manifests, when one is angry, what "flavor" is there? This statement is very strange because anger is a mental factor, a mental activity of consciousness. Saying the manas craves its own angry mental activity is fundamentally illogical. Anger itself is an action that harms body and mind; it is even unpleasant. Who likes to be unhappy and work against themselves? Unless one has masochistic tendencies, ordinary people do not like anger and try to avoid it if possible. Even if one wants to retaliate against others, it hurts others by seven parts and damages oneself by ten; ordinary people do not like this. Therefore, the idea that the manas craves the "flavor" of anger is absolutely unfounded. On the other hand, "flavor" is the consciousness's feeling towards the objects of the six sense fields (ṣaḍ viṣaya) – form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects. Consciousness can crave feelings towards objects, especially pleasant, comfortable feelings; it does not crave the unpleasant feeling when angry. There is no logic to this.

People with heavy anger frequently give rise to angry actions. They vent their inner fire onto others to calm themselves down. Therefore, people with particularly strong anger inflict violence on others to vent their anger; only after venting anger can they feel somewhat comfortable or even happy. Some, unable to find an object to vent their emotions on, vent on themselves or objects, then their mood calms down. Only a very few special individuals are like this; most people are not. But this still does not mean they crave the "flavor" of anger. Anger is anger; greed is greed. No one likes anger, but they cannot help it; the manas has anger and must occasionally erupt.

The explanation of the "basis of defilement and purity" in the second part is incorrect. The true meaning of "basis of defilement and purity" is that the manas is the basis and source for the purity or defilement of the six consciousnesses. Whether the six consciousnesses are defiled or pure depends on the manas. Because the manas is the master consciousness; it can command the actions of the six consciousnesses according to its own mental activity. Therefore, the mental activity of the six consciousnesses depends on the mental activity of the manas. If the manas is defiled, it inevitably commands the six consciousnesses to create defiled karma. If the manas is pure, it inevitably commands the six consciousnesses to create pure actions, or the six consciousnesses operate little or not at all.

Since beginningless time, the manas has always relied on the Tathāgatagarbha to arise and function; it relies on the Tathāgatagarbha to perceive all dharmas. However, it has never relied on the purity of the Tathāgatagarbha to become pure; it has always been defiled. Therefore, the Tathāgatagarbha is not the pure basis for the manas. Only after truly realizing the Tathāgatagarbha can one gradually rely on the purity of the Tathāgatagarbha to transform one's own defiled mental activity, becoming increasingly pure.

On the other hand, although the manas relies on the six consciousnesses to discern the six sense objects and create bodily, verbal, and mental actions, the defilement of the manas is innate; it exists without needing defilement from the six consciousnesses. Without the six consciousnesses, the manas is still always defiled. Conversely, in the cycle of saṃsāra, the manas constantly defiles the six consciousnesses, teaching them greed, hatred, and delusion. The six consciousnesses, in turn, contact defiled environments in saṃsāra and pass on the acquired greed, hatred, and delusion back to the manas, thus increasing the manas's greed, hatred, and delusion defilements. Therefore, the defilement of the manas is also not born from relying on the six consciousnesses. However, for the manas to transform into purity, it must rely on the six consciousnesses' study of the Buddha Dharma. When the six consciousnesses are pure, the manas can gradually become pure. Conversely, when the manas is pure, the six consciousnesses are less susceptible to defilement from the environment and will inevitably be pure.

Twenty-Five: Sentient Beings Are Wholesome If the Manas Has Wholesome Mental Factors

Whatever mind sentient beings have, the manas has corresponding mental factors. Sentient beings who are wholesome people with wholesome minds have wholesome mental factors in their manas. Sentient beings who cultivate meditation and have concentration have concentration mental factors in their manas. Sentient beings who have wisdom to deal with all worldly and supramundane dharmas have wisdom mental factors in their manas.

If the manas lacked wholesome mental factors, there would be no wholesome people in the world, studying Buddhism could not achieve anything, sentient beings could not go to heavens to enjoy blessings, and there could be no wholesome karmic retribution. If the manas is unwholesome, no matter how the consciousness tries to influence it, it is useless; sentient beings could never become wholesome. If the manas does not correspond to concentration mental factors, cultivating concentration is useless; no matter how much one practices, there will be no concentration. If the manas can only have inferior wisdom, then it cannot make wise decisions or do anything right; cultivation cannot lead to realizing the fruits or understanding the mind (明心, likely referring to seeing the nature of mind/Buddha-nature). Without wisdom or with inferior wisdom, one can never transform consciousness into wisdom and never attain wisdom like the Buddha's.

Twenty-Six: The Function of Sentient Beings' Manas is the Same, But Their Mental Factors Differ

Question: Is the functional role of the manas the same between different people? Is the functional role of the manas the same among sentient beings in the six realms? Is the functional role of the manas the same between ordinary sentient beings and sages? Is the manas of animals and humans the same?

Answer: The functional role of the manas is the same for all sentient beings; only the mental factors differ, the degree of ignorance (avidyā) differs, the degree of clarity (vidyā) differs. When functioning, there will be good functions and bad functions. For example, all knives have the function of cutting. Because knives differ in sharpness, the results of cutting differ. A sharp knife cuts things perfectly, neatly, and valuably; a dull knife cuts things unevenly, unusably, perhaps even destroying things, with no good result. The wisdom of the manas differs, so the deeds it accomplishes differ. Afflictions differ, so the karmic actions created differ, and the karmic retribution differs. Manas with slight ignorance can be used well; manas with deep ignorance is used poorly; the results are vastly different. Because the degree of ignorance of the manas differs, and the degree of clarity also differs, sentient beings in the world are divided into various grades; there is the distinction between ordinary people and sages, and the time it takes for sentient beings to become Buddhas differs.

Twenty-Seven: How Karmic Actions Arise

The process of the operation of the five universally interactive mental factors is the process of creating karmic actions. If wholesome mental factors join in, the action created is wholesome karma. If unwholesome mental factors join in, the action created is unwholesome karma. The attention and contact mental factors themselves are neither wholesome nor unwholesome. If wholesome or unwholesome minds join, then the attention and contact are wholesome-intentioned or unwholesome-intentioned. The feeling, perception, and volition mental factors themselves are also neither wholesome nor unwholesome. If wholesome or unwholesome mental factors join, then the feeling, perception, and volition mental factors contain wholesome or unwholesome nature. If the wisdom mental factor participates in the operation of the five universally interactive mental factors, the karmic action is wise; conversely, it is a foolish karmic action. If the conviction (adhimokṣa) mental factor participates, this person is intelligent, understanding of others, and has strong comprehension. When the concentration (samādhi) mental factor arises, feeling and perception are slight, and the five universally interactive mental factors operate slowly and subtly; attention and contact arise passively, and the feeling, perception, and volition mental factors arise and operate according to conditions, acting spontaneously.

The manas plays a driving role in the operational process of all dharmas; it is the master of karmic actions. This can be observed in daily bodily, verbal, and mental actions. For example, raising the hand, then picking up a pen, then pressing the hand onto paper. If observed carefully, one can clearly feel a kind of mental force driving it. Sometimes the driving is obvious, sometimes not obvious; sometimes it's very casual, seeming like no driving, but actually it's habitual action. However, no matter how casual or effortless the manas's operation is, it is very difficult for an unwise consciousness to observe.

Another example: when we ride a bicycle very skillfully, it seems like we are not using our mind to ride; the consciousness does not need to think or consider how to ride. But the manas is directing the operation moment by moment; it is constantly using the mind, only the consciousness doesn't know it. When skilled at riding, even if one wants to fall, it's not easy to fall. When unskilled, even if one doesn't want to fall, one still falls. Because when skilled, the consciousness doesn't need to control through thinking; the manas has mastered it and can command and control freely. When unskilled, the manas hasn't learned; the consciousness must repeatedly think and influence the manas until the manas fully masters it and can control freely; then the consciousness doesn't need to use much mind.

Some people always say they did something "unintentionally." But no matter how "unintentional" your consciousness is, the manas is intentional; it is the manas driving the action to accomplish something; it's just that one doesn't know it. In familiar operational situations, unconscious and subconscious actions are all the manas operating, commanding, and controlling, not the consciousness. The consciousness merely cooperates purely with the manas, without any thoughts, opinions, or views. Furthermore, when the consciousness is "unintentional," it does not mean the manas is unintentional. Only when the manas is unintentional is the mind truly non-active (anabhisaṅkhāra).

Twenty-Eight: Concentration is the Prerequisite for Wisdom

Children with hyperactivity disorder generally do poorly in studies because they cannot concentrate. Similarly, if the mind is scattered while studying Buddhism, one cannot practice well. When calculating math problems, whether the manas concentrates or not affects the result. Superficially, it seems like the consciousness's focus or lack thereof, but whether the consciousness focuses or not is determined by the manas. When concentrating and applying effort, the exertion differs, thinking ability differs, intelligence differs, and the result differs. Poets composing poetry or painting, concentrating quietly, pacing while pondering – this is the same skill as Chan (Zen) meditation. With concentration, there can be wisdom. A great matter like studying Buddhism absolutely cannot be accomplished without concentration; shallow concentration also cannot solve problems.