The Difference Between Vijnana Patience and Manas Patience

Any state of mind, emotion, mental activity, cognition of people, objects, and principles, insights, discriminations, and other functional roles of the discerning mind are all divided into two types: mind consciousness and manas (mental faculty). These two differ in depth and level, with certain distinctions between them; they are not entirely consistent or identical. For example, patience is divided into two types: the patience of mind consciousness and the patience of manas. Both may possess patience, or perhaps only one does. When manas lacks patience, the patience of mind consciousness is not enduring. For instance, when engaged in a task for an extended period, if manas loses patience and no longer wishes to continue, the mind consciousness may still feign persistence. This so-called "feigning" refers to an inconsistency between the two mental faculties—each holds its own view—yet they temporarily maintain the current state. In reality, manas is planning other matters. Once a decision is made, it will choose to attend to other affairs, and the mind consciousness, unable to make decisions to persevere, will see its patience come to an end. When mind consciousness lacks patience but manas possesses it, even if the mind consciousness is restless and harbors various plans, because manas remains steadfast and makes no other choice, the mind consciousness has no option but to continue—it cannot choose otherwise, for it lacks the authority to decide. When both possess patience, the attitude toward the task remains unchanged, allowing one to carry out the same work day after day for years or days without weariness or slackening of heart.