What Does It Mean That Manas Does Not Correspond to Language and Words?

The meaning that the manas does not correspond to verbal language is that the manas cannot use words to express its thoughts, concepts, and insights. However, this does not mean the manas is ignorant of language. As the sovereign consciousness that oversees everything, it has the authority to command and mobilize the six consciousnesses. Though incapable of speaking or expressing itself through writing, it can direct the mental consciousness to speak and use words to express itself. Many tasks it cannot accomplish directly can be delegated to the six consciousnesses for assistance. For example, a president has limited energy and cannot be in multiple places at once; he can only manage the overall situation of the nation and cannot personally conduct market research, statistical analysis, or other specific tasks. However, he can appoint subordinates to complete these tasks. Similarly, because the manas must oversee everything, it cannot handle specific matters personally and must rely on the five-coexisting consciousness and the independent mental consciousness to manage trivial affairs. The manas simply needs to receive reports. During the process of receiving reports, it uses the mental factors of deliberation (cetanā), wisdom (prajñā), and decisive understanding (adhimokṣa) to make judgments and decisions. It then issues commands, directing the six consciousnesses to solve problems according to its instructions.

The manas is like a mute person who, though unable to speak, can understand human speech. The same applies to the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna): though incapable of speech and not connected to language, it possesses a unique way of discerning, perceiving unique information distinct from the seven consciousnesses. The manas is also different from the mental consciousness. The deliberation of the manas is no less than that of the mental consciousness. If a president could free up time and energy to specialize in market research, he might perform even better than his subordinates—it's simply a matter of lacking the time and energy. Similarly, if the manas were to take over the functions of the six consciousnesses, it might surpass them; it's only that its current energy is insufficient. This is precisely why one must cultivate meditation, meditation, and more meditation—to free up time and energy for the manas, enabling it to focus, focus, and focus even more. Only then can the great wisdom of the manas emerge.

By regarding the manas as a consciousness, or as a person, one can understand the nature and mental factors of the manas. The mental consciousness and the five sense consciousnesses work on behalf of the manas. If the wisdom of the manas is sufficient, it can be perfectly clear about everything the six consciousnesses do. However, if the wisdom of the manas is inadequate and its decisive understanding is weak, misunderstandings may arise, or it may fail to comprehend the actions of the six consciousnesses and remain unclear about what they are doing. If the mental consciousness cannot express itself or expresses itself unclearly, the manas will likewise be unable to fully understand or discern the intentions of the mental consciousness.