What Sense Objects Do Manas and Vijñāna Correspond To Respectively?

The Manas (mind faculty) is both an internal and external consciousness. It can perceive all internal manifestations within the subtle sense faculties (indriyas) and external manifestations beyond them, encompassing any phenomena manifested by the Eighth Consciousness (Ālaya-vijñāna) based on the essential realm (svabhāva-viṣaya). The Manas, relying on the Eighth Consciousness, can cognize and perceive all such phenomena, including the five sense objects (rūpa, śabda, gandha, rasa, sparśa). In contrast, the mental consciousness (Manovijñāna) is only an internal consciousness; it can only cognize the mental objects (dharmas) within the subtle sense faculties and cannot cognize any other sense objects, except when possessing psychic powers (ṛddhi).

When the Eighth Consciousness cognizes the essential realm, it assimilates the subtle particles of the four great elements (mahābhūta) from that essential realm and immediately manifests them into sensory objects resembling the essential realm. These are then transmitted through various mediating substances until they reach the subtle sense faculties, becoming internal manifestations (adhyātmika-pratyaya). The transmission passes through many mediating substances all the way to the five coarse sense faculties (pañcendriyas). The part before reaching the five coarse sense faculties belongs to the external objects, external realms, and external manifestations (bāhya-pratyaya). How many layers of external manifestations are there? Each mediating substance creates one layer of external manifestation, altering the sensory objects each time. The more mediating substances involved, the more alterations occur. Thus, how many layers of external manifestations exist? There are as many layers as there are mediating substances.

When the manifestations reach the five coarse sense faculties, they are transmitted via the neural pathways of these faculties towards the subtle sense faculties. The manifestations before reaching the subtle sense faculties are still considered external manifestations, or in a state of being semi-external and semi-internal manifestations. At this stage, the mediating substance becomes the five coarse sense faculties themselves, causing the external objects to change once again. Throughout this entire process, the Manas continuously cognizes and perceives all manifestations generated by the Eighth Consciousness. This demonstrates that the Manas can perceive these external sensory objects undergoing continuous transmission and alteration along the way, whereas the six consciousnesses (vijñānas) have not yet arisen and are incapable of perceiving them. How far, then, is the external manifestation perceived by the Manas from the subtle sense faculties? It is as far as the distance from the sense faculties to the essential realm, meaning it is very close to the essential realm.

In contrast, the internal manifestations perceived by the mental consciousness are relatively distant from the essential realm and also somewhat removed from the five coarse sense faculties. The mental consciousness can only perceive the manifestations within the subtle sense faculties; it has no awareness of the manifestations or sensory objects existing before the subtle sense faculties. The scope of phenomena known by the six consciousnesses is extremely narrow, whereas the Manas knows a vast and extensive range of phenomena. Furthermore, the Manas perceives things significantly earlier than the mental consciousness. Therefore, when encountering unexpected events, we sometimes react and respond suddenly without time for deliberation – this is the decision made by the Manas perceiving first. At such times, even without the mental consciousness, the Manas alone can perceive the general situation, assess the potential impact of the event, and, if the impact is significant, initiate a response first.

After the Manas initiates a response, the sensory manifestations have already been transmitted to the subtle sense faculties. The six consciousnesses immediately arise and process the sensory objects according to the Manas's intent. Only afterward does the mental consciousness become aware of what just happened. This is the result of the Manas first perceiving the external six sense objects (ṣaḍ viṣaya). The Manas perceives the external manifestations, perhaps perceiving all manifestations entirely. It is aware of the entire process of the transmission of the external sensory realm. Consequently, its decision is already made long before the six consciousnesses arise. The six consciousnesses then emerge and execute a very swift reaction and response based on the Manas's prior decision.