How to Observe and Subdue the Parikalpita-svabhāva of Manas

The characteristic of the pervasive discrimination and attachment of manas (the seventh consciousness) is its universal discrimination and grasping of all dharmas, ceaselessly clinging to all dharmas. Relying on the ālaya-vijñāna (the eighth consciousness), it perceives all dharmas manifested by the ālaya-vijñāna, remaining in a state of knowing every moment, unwilling to relinquish any dharma. It incessantly adheres to every dharma it encounters; past, present, and future dharmas all linger stickily within the mind. Thoughts are continuous and unbroken; there is not a single dharma it does not think of, not a single dharma it does not cling to, not a single dharma it does not adhere to. This is the characteristic of the pervasive discrimination and attachment of manas. Because manas possesses this nature, it causes the mind to become tangled like hemp, scattered like a monkey, with thoughts ceaselessly arising, lacking meditative concentration (dhyāna), unable to focus, consuming immense amounts of time and energy on meaningless dharmas, preventing wisdom from increasing.

If you have a way to observe these thoughts of manas, you will realize what dharmas manas is clinging to and attaching to, and you will find a way to counteract and subdue the pervasive discrimination and attachment of manas, thereby enabling you to focus your mind and enhance the power of concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (prajñā). How does one observe the pervasive discrimination and attachment of manas and its thoughts? Firstly, observe the states and mental activities that appear in dreams. Observe whether these states and thoughts are orderly or chaotic, whether they have a focus, what the focus is, what issues they indicate, and what they aim to achieve. In this way, you will understand the content that manas is attached to and concerned with, as well as the problems existing within the mind.

Secondly, immediately upon waking up, observe what your thoughts are and what your emotional state is like. These thoughts belong to manas, not to the sixth consciousness (mano-vijñāna), because they have just arisen and there hasn't been time for other thoughts or emotions to develop. Thirdly, observe the thoughts coming and going during meditative concentration (samādhi). In samādhi, the sixth consciousness has already become tranquil and free of thoughts, yet there are still some unsettled mental activities within the mind, flickering on and off, sometimes faint, sometimes strong, constantly arising, ceasing, ceasing and arising again. These mental activities all belong to manas.

In all circumstances, the thoughts are scattered, lacking concentration; most are unimportant and meaningless. From this, one can understand and observe the characteristic of pervasive discrimination and attachment of manas. Due to this pervasive discrimination and attachment since beginningless kalpas (aeons), how much energy have we consumed and wasted, failing to attain the wholesome results we should have attained? Such pervasive clinging everywhere is truly more loss than gain.

How to restrain and reduce the pervasive discrimination and attachment of manas? One must avoid contact with meaningless, useless people, affairs, objects, and principles; minimize exposure to various states (visaya); strive to shield oneself from the rotten people, rotten matters, and entangled affairs of the world; know as few dharmas as possible, and if possible, know none at all. Those people and affairs are utterly meaningless, merely wasting time and energy, leaving behind impure thoughts in the mind. One should constantly focus the mind on a meaningful dharma, concentrating on this dharma without wavering, without interruption, and without mixing in other things. Using this dharma as the main thread, over time with deep practice, the distracting thoughts in the mind will lessen, the scattered mind will be subdued, the mind will become settled, energy will become concentrated and vigorous, and wisdom will increase.