Which mind is the mind of vexation and self-reproach?

When getting up in the morning, one mind wants to get up, and another mind does not want to get up; in the end, one does not get up, and as a result an important matter is delayed. Then one becomes angry, vexed, and self-reproachful. Who exactly is vexed? Who is self-reproachful? Who is angry?

The mind consciousness has rationality, while the manas has no rationality; it is greedier than the mind consciousness, craving flavors and craving feelings. After waking up in the morning, the mind consciousness, being rational, feels that one should get up, tidy up early, and go out to take care of matters. But because the manas craves flavors, it appears rather lazy, does not decide to get up, and clings to comfortable feelings. Finally, the rationality of the mind consciousness grows stronger and stronger, constantly hinting to the manas that it should get up. In the end, the manas understands that it must get up and prepare, and can no longer cling, so it has no choice but to decide to get up and get dressed. Once this decision is made, the tathāgatagarbha carries it out, and the six consciousnesses cooperate to get up. From this example, we can see that the manas has feeling, and it is not necessarily neutral feeling (upekṣā-vedanā).

Because getting up late delayed matters, the one who is initially angry, vexed, and self-reproachful must be the mind consciousness, because the mind consciousness has strong deliberative ability and knows what matter was delayed and how important it was. After the mind consciousness is vexed and self-reproachful, the manas also comes to know its own fault and may also regret and reproach itself. If the manas does not regret or reproach itself, and only the mind consciousness regrets alone, the manas will not change, and next time it will make the same mistake, likewise lingering in bed and refusing to get up.

Many people make mistakes, repent, and reproach themselves, yet afterward they still commit the same errors. That is the mind consciousness repenting and reproaching itself, while the manas does not repent; the mistakes will then be repeated over and over again, without learning the lesson. Committing a mistake, correcting it, then committing it again—that is the mind consciousness. Not easily making the mistake again in the future—that means the manas has learned the lesson. "The flesh changes but the bones do not change" indicates that it is only a superficial change of the mind consciousness, while the manas does not change and does not admit any fault.

When the mind consciousness understands some principle and wants to accomplish it, it cannot be the master; it must persuade the manas to agree with its own idea, or force the manas to agree. Once the manas agrees, it decides, and then it is accomplished. If the manas reluctantly agrees while still being unwilling in its heart, the same thing may not necessarily be accomplished next time. If the manas has not understood the principle and is frequently forced by the mind consciousness, the manas will harbor resentment in its mind; the resentment will sooner or later burst out, and if it does not burst out, the mind will remain deeply depressed. When the mind consciousness has not persuaded the manas, once supervision is relaxed, the manas's original habitual tendencies will manifest. Therefore, when the mind consciousness fakes it, it cannot last long; there will always be a time when the truth is exposed.