The Five Universally Active Mental Factors of Manas Include Perception and Mindfulness

Some say that the manas (the seventh consciousness) lacks perception and recollection, yet all eight consciousnesses possess the mental factors of attention, contact, sensation, perception, and volition. Even the eighth consciousness has perception; how much more so the manas, with its strong clinging nature—how could it be without perception? The five consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body all have perception and possess a clinging nature; how much more so the manas—how could it be without perception? If the manas lacked perception, without discrimination and clinging, it would be unable to further make decisions or choices based on perception. How then could subsequent dharmas arise? Therefore, the manas must possess the mental factor of perception for all dharmas to appear in the mind and for survival in the mundane world to be sustained. Only in the cessation attainment (nirodha-samāpatti) does the manas cease the mental factor of perception, enabling it to peacefully enter samādhi. Only within this samādhi can the manas cease the mental factor of volition, the five aggregates body cease, and one enter the remainderless nirvāṇa, liberated from the three realms.

As for recollection, the eighth consciousness also possesses it. The Sixth Patriarch stated in the Platform Sutra: "True Suchness is neither recollecting nor not recollecting." Although the eighth consciousness itself has no recollection, all dharmas are recollected by the eighth consciousness, even though it lacks the mental activities of the other seven consciousnesses. The Verses on the Structure of the Eight Consciousnesses states that the five consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body also possess recollection, enabling them to recollect the objects of the five senses. The manas is far more active and agile than these five consciousnesses; thus, it should possess recollection even more so—it cannot be more clumsy or rigid than the five consciousnesses.

If the manas lacked recollection and did not recollect any dharma, the eighth consciousness could not cooperate with the manas to give rise to the mental consciousness, give rise to the five consciousnesses, or create according to the manas's thoughts, nor could it give rise to all other dharmas. When the manas recollects a dharma, the eighth consciousness then cooperates with the manas's recollection and decisions to give rise to the mental consciousness for discrimination, or recollection, or imagination, or analysis, judgment, reasoning, and thought. Without the manas's recollection, the mental consciousness would be incapable of action; it might not even arise at all.

The function of the manas's recollection, for example: if the manas constantly thinks of getting rich, it prompts the mental consciousness to rack its brains for ways to get rich, seizing every opportunity. If the manas lacked this mental recollection, the mental consciousness would not create in this way. A true practitioner's manas lacks such recollection, and thus their mind is pure. However, a practitioner's manas possesses the recollection of cultivating the path; every thought is directed toward cultivation, and the mental consciousness thinks only of the Buddha Dharma. Some people's manas constantly thinks of leaving home to cultivate the path; thus, their mental consciousness must constantly prepare for ordination. Some people's manas intensely desires rebirth in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; every thought is reciting the Buddha's name, and thus their mental consciousness constantly recites the Buddha's name, whether aloud or silently. They may even foresee the time of death and sense Amitābha Buddha coming to touch their head and offer comfort.

If the manas thinks of someone constantly, then the image of that person appears in the mental consciousness. One might even dream of that person, or unexpectedly encounter them in broad daylight. All this is recollected by the manas, and the Tathāgatagarbha (storehouse consciousness) certainly assists it. If the manas dwells on certain people or matters, one might be unable to sleep at night, or sleep restlessly. When the manas is preoccupied, the mental consciousness cannot completely cease; it keeps arising to help the manas consider matters. In the morning, the manas will also prompt the mental consciousness to rise early to avoid missing anything.

The concept of recollection encompasses not only recollecting past people and events but also includes anticipating future people and events. People and events that did not exist, through the manas's constant recollection, may come to appear and occur. This phenomenon happens to everyone, as the saying goes: "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear." Think of someone, and they appear; think of something, and it happens; wish for something in the heart, and it manifests. Why is this so? It is because the Tathāgatagarbha understands the manas and is considerate toward it. Whenever possible, the Tathāgatagarbha does not let the manas recollect in vain; even if one recollects evil things, evil things may still occur. Therefore, some elders advise their children: "Do not speak inauspicious words, nor think inauspicious thoughts in your heart. In all matters, think of the good."

Malicious speech and curses are the manas's curses upon others; if the mental power is strong, they can materialize. Yearning for the future also falls within the scope of the mental factor of recollection. With powerful recollection and sufficient merit, the people and events one recollects will surely appear. Achieving all wishes and having thoughts materialize are functions of the power of recollection. With the Tathāgatagarbha assisting in realizing these thoughts, the manas must therefore recollect good deeds and virtuous acts; then good things will appear, and virtuous aspirations will be fulfilled.