Itivuttaka, Volume One (I)

Original text: 吾从世尊。闻如是语。苾刍当知。我以佛眼。遍观世间。诸有业果。皆缘心意。一类有情。心意所使。行如是行。履如是道。身坏命终。如舍重担。堕诸恶趣。生地狱中。所以者何。彼诸有情。心意染污。由此为因。身坏命终。堕诸恶趣。生地狱中。 

Explanation: I heard the World-Honored One speak thus: Bhikṣus, you should know that with the Buddha eye I have thoroughly observed the world, and all karmic results therein arise in dependence upon mind and mental faculty (manas). A certain class of sentient beings, driven by their mind, performed such actions and walked such paths; when their bodies broke up and their lives ended, it was like casting off a heavy burden—they fell into the various evil destinies and were reborn in the hells. Why is this so? Because the minds of those sentient beings were defiled; taking this as the cause, when their bodies broke up and their lives ended, they fell into the various evil destinies and were reborn in the hells. 

The "mind" mentioned above refers to the seventh consciousness, the manas. Because of the defilement of the manas, whenever it gives rise to intentions and creates karma, what is created is defiled karma; because of this defiled karma, at the end of life one falls into the hells and the three evil destinies. It is the manas that drives sentient beings to create karmic actions; the manas is the motive force and master of bodily, verbal, and mental actions. When the manas is pure, everything is pure; when the manas is defiled, everything is defiled. Therefore the manas possesses all ignorance and all afflictions, and in cultivation, everything must ultimately be implemented at the level of the manas in order to remove defilement and attain purity. Furthermore, no matter what dharma or what meditative concentration (samādhi) one realizes, it must be realized by the manas; if the manas does not realize it, defilement remains forever defiled and can never become pure. 

Original text: 吾从世尊。闻如是语。苾刍当知。我以佛眼。遍观世间。诸有业果。皆缘心意。一类有情。心意所使。行如是行。履如是道。身坏命终。如捐重担。升诸善趣。生于天中。所以者何。彼诸有情。心意清净。由此为因。身坏命终。升诸善趣。生天界中。 

Explanation: I heard the World-Honored One speak thus: Bhikṣus, you should know that with the Buddha eye I have thoroughly observed the world, and all karmic results therein arise in dependence upon mind and mental faculty. A certain class of sentient beings, driven by their mind, performed such actions and walked such paths; when their bodies broke up and their lives ended, it was like relinquishing a heavy burden—they ascended to the various good destinies and were born in the heavens. Why is this so? Because the minds of those sentient beings were pure; by reason of this pure mind, at the end of life they ascended to the various good destinies and rose to the heavens. 

Here "mind" again refers to the manas. The manas is the consciousness that makes decisions, the master of all dharmas; how all dharmas are created is decided and driven by the manas. When the manas is pure, the karmic actions it creates are pure, and through pure karmic actions one receives pure blessings of merit. Therefore the manas can also possess all pure wholesome dharmas, and by means of these pure wholesome dharmas one accomplishes the Buddha Way. Thus the manas can possess all mental factors (caittas); both wholesome and unwholesome mental factors are fully present within it—all unwholesome mental factors can be completely severed, and all wholesome mental factors can arise. When the manas is unwholesome, everything is unwholesome; when the manas is wholesome, everything is wholesome. Cultivation must ultimately be carried out at the level of the manas; otherwise one will give up halfway, all previous efforts will be wasted, and wholesome dharmas will not be accomplished.