How Should Consciousness Guide the Mano-Indriya?

The dharmas (objects) that consciousness and the manas (mind root) take as their objects are the same. What consciousness discerns must be the dharmas that the manas grasps at; otherwise, consciousness would not arise. Consciousness arises to serve the manas and to obey it. However, after consciousness arises and discerns dharmas, through thinking and analysis, it develops its own views and may contradict the manas, failing to align with the manas's inclination. If consciousness possesses correct knowledge and views, it can gradually influence the manas, depending on the extent to which the manas can accept it. If consciousness is too radical, it may provoke the manas, thus preventing the manas from entering the correct path.

Therefore, if consciousness is intelligent and sharp, it will skillfully guide the manas. If consciousness is dull, it will be ineffective, perhaps even counterproductive, or it may end up being led 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 into 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 lessen its conditions for dharmas, lessen its discernment of dharmas, lessen its thoughts about dharmas, or refrain from conditioning dharmas, refrain from discerning dharmas, and refrain from thinking about dharmas. In this way, the manas receives no feedback from consciousness and realizes that continuing to dwell on dharmas is useless. Consequently, it ceases to stir thoughts, and thus the manas gradually becomes stable.