The Difference Between What Mind Consciousness and Manas Like

Liking something in the mind can be roughly divided into two levels, or two degrees: the shallow one is the mind consciousness's liking, and the deep one is the manas's liking. The liking where one cannot make decisions is the mind consciousness's liking; the liking where one schemes by every means to obtain something and takes action to get it is the manas's liking. Addiction and fascination, being unable to stop thinking about something—these are all the manas's liking. For example, in a family, the parents have the final say. When it comes to liking something, there is the children's liking and also the parents' liking. But no matter what the children like, they cannot make the decision; they must get the parents' consent before they can obtain what they like, whereas whatever the parents like, they will find a way to obtain. The children are analogous to the mind consciousness, and the parents are analogous to the manas.

If the mind consciousness's liking influences the manas, and the manas also likes it, or the manas agrees with the mind consciousness's liking, the manas will decide to obtain what is liked and will grasp it. The mind consciousness's liking is influenced on the one hand by the manas, and on the other hand by the environmental objects of the six sense objects (ṣaḍ-āyatana). The manas's liking comes on the one hand from afflictive habitual tendencies accumulated over beginningless kalpas, and on the other hand from the perfuming by the mind consciousness. If the mind consciousness's liking does not influence the manas, the manas will ignore it, and the mind consciousness likes it in vain and cannot obtain it. For example, liking to study the Dharma: the mind consciousness likes it first, and the manas likes it afterward. If the mind consciousness likes to study the Dharma but the manas does not, there will be no diligence. If the manas also likes to study the Dharma, one will pursue it tirelessly and cultivate and study diligently. Whatever can be persisted in for a long time without giving up is the manas's liking; whatever is on-and-off means the manas is not very interested and is being led and controlled by the mind consciousness. If the manas cannot be controlled, it runs off.