The Self-View of the Manas

The manas is one of the six faculties and one of the eighteen elements (dhātus); the five aggregates and the eighteen elements correspond to each other one by one. When one thinks "me, me, me," the "self" of the manas pops its head out. Whatever the six consciousnesses manifest are the mental actions of the manas's "self," embodying the mental nature of the manas. A person skilled at observing others' psychology can observe a person's essential nature, which is precisely the mental actions of the manas; a person unskilled at observing others can only observe the false appearances of the superficial fabrications of the six consciousnesses, and is thus deceived by those false appearances. Seen in this light, if one cannot distinguish the manas from the mind consciousness, it is truly difficult to eliminate the self-view.

When contemplating the six faculties, one can contemplate the manas: it is the faculty that gives rise to the mind consciousness, and it is also the consciousness that acts as the master. As long as one contemplates this master-consciousness's constant mutability, its unfixedness, its lack of self-mastery (avaśatā), and its perishability, one will know that the manas cannot exist forever; its mental actions constantly mutate and are therefore impermanent, and thus it is also not the self.

To confirm that the functions and roles of the mind consciousness are not the self, first the mind consciousness introspects itself and the mind consciousness confirms this; then, through deep and subtle contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) in meditation (samādhi), the manas participates in contemplating the mind consciousness; then one engages in deliberation (manana) and investigation; finally, the manas also confirms that the functions and roles of the mind consciousness are not the self—they are not the self and not different from self (na m’eso attâ ti).  There is also the manas-self that acts as the master at every moment and in every place; one must also confirm that it is false and without self, that it is also empty and impermanent. The manas, upon which the mind consciousness depends to arise, is also not the self: first the mind consciousness confirms this, and finally the manas itself confirms it. Before this, one must contemplate and confirm that the functions and roles of the five sense consciousnesses are arising and ceasing, impermanent, and without self. In this way, the self-view and the view of what belongs to self (ātma-mamakāra-dṛṣṭi) regarding these several consciousness-minds are eliminated. The view of what belongs to self is also not easy to eliminate.

The purpose of contemplating and confirming all these dharmas is mainly to have the manas confirm them; the mind consciousness's confirmation is only the first step. It is precisely because the manas takes all dharmas as the self that it directs the six consciousnesses to grasp (upādāna); after grasping, the manas takes the grasping function of the six consciousnesses as its own function, thinking "I have done such and such." Then this "self" appears and manifests, glaringly obvious.

Since beginningless kalpas, the manas has always taken the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) as the self. Taking the aggregate of form (rūpa) as the self, it says the body is the self (the self-view regarding the body), or says "my body" (what belongs to self); it then craves and cherishes the physical body, maintains the physical body, and protects the physical body, and for the sake of the physical body it drives the six consciousnesses to fabricate all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of feeling (vedanā) as the self, and sometimes as what belongs to self, believing that feeling is the self, that the self is feeling, that feeling belongs to the self, and that the self possesses the functions and roles of feeling. Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of feeling, it directs the six consciousnesses to fabricate all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of perception (saṃjñā) as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that perception is the self, that the self is perception, that the self possesses the functions and roles of perception, and that the functions and roles of perception belong to the self. "I can perceive, and the dharmas perceived are mine." Thus it directs and manipulates the six consciousnesses to fabricate all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of formations (saṃskāra) as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that formations are the self, that the self is formations, that formations belong to the self, that the self possesses formations, that "I can act," and that what I do is my own possession. Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of formations, it directs and manipulates the six consciousnesses to fabricate all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna) as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that consciousness is the self, that the self is consciousness, that consciousness belongs to the self, and that the self possesses consciousness. "I can discern, and what is discerned is my own possession." Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of consciousness, it fabricates all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.