The Difference Between the Mental Activities of the Mind Consciousness and the Manas

The psychological states of sentient beings are divided into two levels: the level of the mind consciousness and the level of the manas—one shallow and one deep. The mind consciousness is itself passive; if it wishes to act as the master, it must first influence the manas, and only after the manas has been successfully permeated will it comply with the mind consciousness's ideas and make corresponding decisions. If the mind consciousness fails to successfully permeate the manas, the manas will act according to its own past habits, and the mind consciousness's thoughts and suggestions will have no effect.

From what are all the mental activities and actions of the mind consciousness produced? Why does the mind consciousness arise? It arises because, after the manas contacts the mental sense-objects, it needs to make detailed analysis and judgment; the tathāgatagarbha then cooperatively gives rise to the mind consciousness. When the manas wishes to act, it necessarily brings forth the mind consciousness to help it act, because the manas itself is unable to act in certain dharmas, and at such times it needs the mind consciousness to act on its behalf.

For example, consider the matter of getting angry to see the difference between the mental activities of the mind consciousness and the manas. When the mind consciousness is angry, from what are the behaviors it displays produced? They are produced because the manas is angry. The manas wants to vent or express its anger, so it borrows the mind consciousness or the six consciousnesses to express the indignation in its heart; at this time, the six consciousnesses display angry bodily and verbal actions. Anger has many manifestations, such as ferocious facial expressions, harsh speech, clenching and swinging fists, pointing fingers at the other person, and so on. All of these are created jointly by the mind consciousness and the body consciousness, all created in compliance with the mental activities of the manas, expressing the manas's mental activities.

However, after the karma of anger has been created, the reactions of the two are clearly different. The mind consciousness is relatively versed in principles and can immediately introspect on whether these behaviors are good or bad, feeling that the behavior just now was indeed wrong; why it was wrong can be figured out at a moment's thought. Although the mind consciousness has figured it out, the manas has not yet come to understand, and the mind is still angry just the same, fuming with rage. At this point, the mind consciousness persuades: "Forget it, don't be angry anymore; it was our own fault in the first place." But the manas still does not understand and continues to be angry all the same.

When the manas is especially furious, the mind consciousness simply cannot control it. For example, when the manas is so enraged that it wants to hit someone, the mind consciousness on one side feels that hitting people is wrong, yet the body on the other side uncontrollably goes to strike. The mind consciousness cannot control the manas, which will act according to its own habits, and there is nothing one can do about it. The six consciousnesses can only serve as accomplices, performing these actions on behalf of the manas. This is the behavior manifested when the mind consciousness, unable to persuade the manas, complies with the manas's mental activities.