Manas is the dominant condition (adhipati-pratyaya) of the mind consciousness

The dominant condition (adhipati-pratyaya) means that two or more dharmas are together; "dominant" means being together from birth—present together at the moment of birth—and "condition" means dependence: with this, there is that; this dharma depends on that dharma in order to arise and exist.

Some say that the five sense faculties are the dominant condition of the mind consciousness, which would mean that the five faculties are the necessary condition for the mind consciousness to arise: without the five faculties, there is no mind consciousness, and wherever there is mind consciousness, the five faculties must be present. But is this actually the case? In terms of the forms of sentient beings, many beings do not possess the five faculties, yet they still have mind consciousness. For example, the devas of the formless realm, or the bodhisattvas and great arhats who manifest without bodies, and so forth—all of them have mind consciousness but no five faculties. The solitary mental consciousness of all sentient beings does not depend on the five faculties to arise and exist. In profound meditative concentration (samādhi), when the mind consciousness leaves the body, it can still discern sense objects without needing the five faculties. Therefore the five faculties are not the dominant condition of the mind consciousness; the dominant condition of the mind consciousness is the eighth consciousness, the manas, and the seeds.

The mind consciousness requires very few conditions to arise, so it arises easily and also ceases easily. The five sense consciousnesses all cease and no longer exist in meditative concentration at the second dhyāna and above, whereas the mind consciousness only ceases in the concentration of no perception (asaṃjñā-samāpatti) and the cessation of perception and feeling (nirodha-samāpatti). Therefore, the dominant condition of the mind consciousness is neither the five faculties nor the five sense consciousnesses, but the manas. The manas is the root from which the mind consciousness can arise; the mind consciousness relies on the manas in order to arise and operate. Only after the manas has engaged in attention (manaskāra) and decision-making can the mind consciousness arise; otherwise it cannot arise. Thus the mind consciousness is always accompanied by the manas, serving the manas, and also regulating and perfuming the manas. But the manas does not necessarily accompany the mind consciousness, and is not necessarily present together with it. There are many instances when the manas exists alone—sleep is just such a case.