What Is the Constant Examination and Deliberation of Manas?

The manas possesses the inherent nature of constant deliberation and cognition. "Constant" refers to its enduring and perpetual quality, as the act of deliberation and cognition perpetually accompanies the manas. As long as the manas exists, it must deliberate upon and cognize all dharmas. The manas of sentient beings has never ceased since beginningless kalpas; only upon attaining the fruition of the fourth-stage Arhat in the Śrāvaka vehicle or the fruition of the Pratyekabuddha does one gain the capability to extinguish it. Apart from this, the manas of all other sentient beings will not cease from future lifetimes until Buddhahood, nor even after attaining Buddhahood. Thus, the manas will exist perpetually, continuously prompting the eighth consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) to manifest all phenomena of the world. This indestructible nature of the manas is called "constant" (heng). Its cognitive function (si liang) also continuously accompanies the manas in its moment-to-moment operation without cessation; this is the constancy of the manas.

"Deliberation" (shen) refers to examination, investigation, appraisal, and judgment. "Shen" also represents a quality of doubt, a desire to ascertain a certain situation or to clarify a certain principle. Because it cannot know for certain, harboring doubt within, it necessitates deliberation and cognition to judge what a particular dharma is truly like, whether it is genuinely correct and true, or whether it constitutes a certain situation. This mental activity is called "shen" (deliberation/examination). In worldly affairs, annual audits, inspections, appraisals, interrogations, and inquiries exemplify this meaning of "shen". The manas possesses this inherent nature of "shen". Without "shen", it would be incapable of making choices and decisions. It constantly engages in examination, consideration, and appraisal; only after achieving clarity within can it finally make a decision.

The meaning of "cognition" (si liang) is that the manas must perform a certain degree of weighing, selection, decision-making, consideration, investigation, measurement, calculation, and discernment regarding all dharmas. It weighs what the content and meaning of a particular dharma are, how it truly is, whether it is beneficial to oneself, what action is correct, how to fulfill its wishes, and achieve its goals. Only after this can it proceed with selection and decision-making. Therefore, the manas possesses the nature of "si liang" (cognition/weighing). Only after the manas has cognized and weighed can it, based on the results of its cognition, make a decision—to accept or reject—and only then can it direct the six consciousnesses to undertake corresponding actions of body, speech, and mind to achieve its purpose. Consequently, the eighth consciousness is compelled to revolve around the manas's deliberations and choices, complying with and cooperating to give rise to all phenomena.