The Process and Principles of the Initiation of Consciousness

The process by which a person's mind consciousness is activated is, in fact, a process of measuring through "activating thought," which then gives rise to thoughts.

When thought is activated, it is always the manas that activates thought first, and only then do the thoughts of the mind consciousness emerge. Without the thought of the manas, there is no thought of the mind consciousness. In the practice of investigating the huatou, the ultimate aim is to tether the manas to the huatou, never forgetting it for a single thought-moment, morning and evening; only then can one finally break through the huatou. A thought that has specific content is a thought of the mind consciousness. When the thought of the mind consciousness has not yet arisen and has no specific content, it is entirely the thought of the manas. Even when the mind consciousness has thoughts, there is still the manas's attention (manaskāra), contact, feeling, perception, and volition, as well as the manas's thoughts; if there were not, the mind consciousness would immediately vanish, for the mind consciousness cannot have thoughts on its own. When faculty and object make contact, consciousness manifests; once the faculty no longer contacts the object, consciousness instantly disappears.