Are Consciousness and Manas Mutually Conditioned?

The contact between the faculties and their objects gives rise to consciousness. The three—faculties, objects, and consciousness—come together through contact, enabling consciousness to discern the realm of dharmas (mental objects). Based on this, the mental faculty makes overarching decisions.

When consciousness and the mental faculty interact, they inevitably perceive and depend on each other’s mental states, allowing the dharma to operate continuously and enabling the formation of bodily, verbal, and mental actions. If consciousness and the mental faculty fail to interact interdependently, consciousness cannot function. Its arising would then serve no purpose, and the mental faculty would no longer choose to bring it forth in the future.

The very purpose of consciousness arising is to cooperate with and serve the needs of the mental faculty. As soon as it arises, consciousness naturally understands what the mental faculty requires it to do and thus automatically acts in accordance with the mental faculty’s intent. Along the way, it inevitably offers suggestions and opinions, sometimes asserting its own views that may conflict with the mental faculty’s intentions. This creates inner contradictions, making it difficult to reach decisions when faced with matters.