The Five Universal Mental Factors of the Manas Include Perception and Mindfulness

Some people say that the manas has no perception and no thought, yet all eight consciousnesses possess the mental factors of attention (manaskāra), contact (sparśa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), and volition (cetanā). Even the eighth consciousness has perception, let alone the manas, whose grasping nature is so strong—how could it lack perception? The five consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body all have perception and grasping nature; how could the manas possibly lack perception? If the manas had no perception, no discerning and grasping nature, then the manas would be unable to make decisions and choices based on perception, and how could subsequent dharmas arise? Therefore, the manas must possess the mental factor of perception, so that all dharmas can appear in the mind and worldly existence can be sustained. Only in the cessation absorption (nirodha-samāpatti) does the manas extinguish the mental factor of perception and thus enter absorption peacefully; and it is within this absorption that the manas extinguishes the mental factor of volition, the five-aggregate body ceases, and one enters nirvāṇa without remainder, liberated from the three realms.

As for thought, the eighth consciousness also has thought. The Sixth Patriarch said in the Platform Sutra that true suchness is without thought yet nothing is not thought. Although the eighth consciousness itself has no thought, all dharmas are thought forth by the eighth consciousness, even though the eighth consciousness lacks the mental activities of the seven consciousnesses. The Verses on the Structure of the Eight Consciousnesses state that the five consciousnesses of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body also have thought and can think upon the objects of the five sense-dusts. The manas is far more active and nimble than the five consciousnesses, so it should all the more possess thought—it cannot possibly be clumsier and more hidebound than the five consciousnesses.

If the manas had no thought and did not think upon any dharma, the eighth consciousness could not cooperate with the manas to give rise to the mind consciousness and the five consciousnesses, to act in accordance with the manas's intentions, or to give rise to any other dharmas. Only when the manas is thinking upon dharmas does the eighth consciousness, in cooperation with the manas's thought and choices, give rise to the mind consciousness to discern, or to recall, or to imagine, or to analyze, judge, infer, and deliberate. Without the manas's thought, the mind consciousness can accomplish nothing—indeed, the mind consciousness might not even arise.

An example of the manas's function of thought: if the manas constantly thinks of getting rich, it drives the mind consciousness to rack its brains for channels to wealth, letting no opportunity slip by. If the manas did not have this mental thought, the mind consciousness would not act in this way. A genuine practitioner's manas has no such thoughts, and thus the mind is pure. However, a practitioner's manas has the thought of cultivating the path—every thought is about practice, and what the mind consciousness contemplates is all Buddha-dharma. Some people's manas constantly thinks of leaving home to cultivate the path, so the mind consciousness must frequently prepare for leaving home. Some people's manas deeply longs for rebirth in the land of bliss (sukhāvatī), with every thought being recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti); then the mind consciousness's every thought is the Buddha's name, whether voiced aloud or not, and one may even know in advance the time of one's death and sense Amitābha Buddha coming to touch one's crown in comfort and reassurance.

If the manas misses someone, thinking of that person in every thought, then that person's image will appear in the mind consciousness's mind; one may even dream of that person, or perhaps unexpectedly run into them in broad daylight. All of this is thought forth by the manas, and the tathāgatagarbha has not spared any effort in helping Him. If the manas is preoccupied with certain people or matters, one may be unable to sleep at night, or sleep restlessly. When the manas has matters on its mind, the mind consciousness cannot fully cease and will always arise to help the manas think things over; in the morning, the manas will also prompt the mind consciousness to rise early, lest anything be delayed.

The definition and concept of thought encompasses not only thinking of people and events of the past, but also thinking of people and events that will appear in the future—people and events that do not yet exist. As the manas keeps thinking, the person appears and the event occurs. This happens to everyone; it is what the common saying describes: "Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears." Think of someone, and that person appears; think of some event, and that event occurs; hope for something in your heart, and it will come to pass. Why is this so? It is because the tathāgatagarbha understands the manas and is considerate of the manas; whenever it is possible, the tathāgatagarbha will not let the manas's thoughts be in vain. Even if one thinks of evil things, evil things will likewise appear. That is why some elders tell their children: do not speak inauspicious words, do not think inauspicious thoughts, and always think the best of everything.

Harsh words and malicious curses are the manas's curses upon others; if the mental power is strong, they can also come true. Longing for the future also falls within the scope of the mental factor of thought. When the power of thought is strong and merit is sufficient, the people and events one thinks upon will surely appear. "All wishes fulfilled, all aspirations realized"—these are all functions of the power of thought. With the tathāgatagarbha behind the scenes helping to realize these thoughts, the manas must think of good things and wholesome things, so that good things will appear and wholesome wishes will be fulfilled.