The Afflictions of the Manas and the Afflictions of the Mind Consciousness

Question: When I observe that an affliction is about to arise in the mind, afterwards the mind consciousness really feels irritable; everything the mind consciousness thinks of is negative energy and extremely pessimistic—that is, depression appears. Is this affliction produced by the manas?

Answer: From what you describe, it is indeed the case that the manas first has the affliction, and then impels the mind consciousness to arise at the site of that affliction, to cognize the affliction, to feel the affliction, and then to manifest the affliction and emotions. This is the manas's influence upon the mind consciousness.

After the mind consciousness cognizes dharmas, it may generate its own afflictions, which then influence the manas in turn, causing the manas also to become stained with afflictions. This is the mind consciousness's influence upon the manas. The mind consciousness arises when the manas contacts mental sense-objects; only after this contact, when there is a wish to act, does the mind consciousness arise. Where do the mind consciousness's afflictions come from? One source is the manas; the other is the mind's engagement with sense objects in response to conditions. How do the mind consciousness's afflictions come from the manas? After the manas contacts the sense-object realm and gives rise to afflictions, it wants to vent them or express them, and so it regulates the mind consciousness, impelling it to vent afflictive emotions and to create afflictive karma. The mind consciousness then manifests afflictions such as hatred, craving and attachment, and so on.

The second source of the mind consciousness's afflictions is that after the mind consciousness contacts and discerns the sense-object realm, it may give rise to afflictions. When the mind consciousness develops afflictions and wants to engage in some action, it transmits its ideas to the manas. If the manas is beguiled but does not itself give rise to afflictions, it will passively consent to the mind consciousness creating afflictive karma and venting emotions. If the manas is beguiled and infected by the mind consciousness and also gives rise to afflictions, it will actively impel the mind consciousness to create afflictive karma and vent emotions. If the manas is not beguiled by the mind consciousness, it will not permit the mind consciousness to create afflictive karma.

Therefore, when sentient beings give rise to afflictions, sometimes it is the mind consciousness's affliction alone, sometimes the manas's affliction alone, and sometimes an affliction arising jointly from the manas and the mind consciousness. When the mind consciousness alone gives rise to afflictions, they can quickly recede and disappear, and are easy to transform. If the manas gives rise to afflictions on its own, they are very hard to calm down, not easily persuaded or transformed, and not easily subdued. If the manas and the mind consciousness give rise to afflictions together, afflictive karma will certainly be created; at that point there is no one in control of the emotions, and things will spiral out of control beyond remedy.