How Should Consciousness Guide Manas?

The dharmas (phenomena) that consciousness and the manas (mental faculty) perceive are identical. What consciousness discerns must be the dharmas that the manas grasps at; otherwise, consciousness would not arise. Consciousness arises to serve the manas, meaning it must submit to the manas. However, once consciousness arises and discerns dharmas, it develops its own views through thinking and analysis, potentially contradicting the manas or acting against its will. If consciousness possesses correct knowledge and views, it can gradually influence and reshape the manas, depending on the extent to which the manas can accept it. If consciousness is too radical, it may provoke the manas, hindering its progress onto the right path.

Therefore, if consciousness is clever and astute, it will skillfully guide the manas. If consciousness is dull and foolish, it will be ineffective, perhaps even counterproductive, or it may end up being led around by the manas. The consciousness of a Buddhist practitioner should adopt this attitude towards the manas: "If you lead me astray, I will not follow; if you lead me towards greed, hatred, and delusion, I will not follow." Gradually, the manas, finding no alternative, ceases to lead and instead is led by consciousness.

To enable the manas to attain stability (samadhi), consciousness must have less contact with dharmas, less discernment of dharmas, and less thought about dharmas; or it must have no contact with dharmas, no discernment of dharmas, and no thought about dharmas. Under such circumstances, the manas receives no feedback from consciousness. Realizing that dwelling on dharmas is futile, it ceases its mental activities. In this way, the manas gradually becomes stabilized.