The Relationship Between Thought-Free Numinous Awareness and Manas

“灵” means being sensitive and responsive, while "thought-free" means temporarily departing from thoughts and mental notions. Such knowing includes that of the mind consciousness as well as that of the manas. For the mind consciousness, being free of thoughts is relatively easy to achieve, whereas for the manas it is comparatively difficult, though not impossible. Why can the mind consciousness be free of thoughts? First, the manas must have no desires or ideas, not grasp at sense objects, and have no coarse thoughts or notions; second, the mind consciousness itself must have no desire to discern objects and nothing it dwells upon. Only then will it not mobilize the mind consciousness to deliberate, to think, to imagine, or to fabricate. As for those extremely subtle thoughts and notions of the manas, which manifest bodily, verbal, and mental actions without the participation of the mind consciousness, the mind consciousness is also unable to detect or take part in them.

At this time the manas is in a state of relative tranquility (praśama), that is, a state of meditative concentration (samādhi), a state of no desires and no seeking. Therefore, when the mind consciousness is in a thought-free state, it must be that the manas is tranquil and abiding in meditative concentration, no matter how deep that concentration is or how long it lasts. In fact, even at this time there are still subtle thoughts; without thoughts, how could there be knowing? It is merely that when one is extremely familiar with the object, one can know it without effortful discrimination; at this time mental activity is extremely slight, and this is called "thought-free numinous awareness." The term "thought-free numinous awareness" does not come from the Buddhist sūtras; the sūtras contain no specific description of it. It is a concept proposed by later people according to their own ideas, and it is not very accurate. To observe and discern this requires very profound cultivation in Yogācāra and keen powers of observation.