The Mind Faculty and Consciousness

Chapter 5: The Mode of Communication Between the Mind Consciousness and the Manas

1. How Do the Mind Consciousness and the Manas Communicate Information with Each Other?

Only when the mind consciousness contemplates and engages in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on a certain issue within a certain degree of meditative concentration (samādhi) can the deliberation (manasikāra/manana) function of the manas be fully exercised; only then can the manas easily resonate with this issue, and easily accept and understand it. As for the mind consciousness's inference and non-valid cognition in its discrimination and thinking—thinking that is far removed from direct perception and from facts—the manas does not easily resonate with it and does not easily understand it. To make the manas affirm a dharma, it is best for the mind consciousness to focus, concentrate its energy on thinking, clarify the overall outline of the meaning of this dharma, then condense it into a single point and deposit it into the manas. The mind consciousness then attends to this point for a long time, away from words and language, with less fabrication; in this way the manas can be made to hold onto this dharma without letting go, and can deliberate (manasikāra/manana) deeply, continuously, and unceasingly. Even when the mind consciousness no longer applies attention (manaskāra) to this issue, the manas still holds onto this problem without releasing it. In that way, the manas has been successfully perfumed, and then one can count on the manas to ultimately and thoroughly resolve the problem.

The manas's mode of thinking differs from that of the mind consciousness, but the mind consciousness can adjust its own mode of thinking to facilitate interfacing with the manas and to coordinate with it. Investigating Chan (can) is precisely the application of this kind of skill, but to possess this skill requires long-term training. As long as we learn this method and practice applying it, once we apply it well, in the future we will be able to realize all dharmas. Suspend a problem deeply in the mind; the mind consciousness does not deliberately think, analyze, or consider—just carrying this problem, attending to this problem with a questioning doubt (yiqing). The mind consciousness does not move, appearing calm on the surface, but deep inside it is actually not calm: the manas is working continuously and unceasingly, and the mind consciousness must also cooperate and accord with conditions, or the mind consciousness need not be too focused and can do other things.

Just now, while pacing back and forth, I came to investigate and understand a principle. Strategizing and planning is still this old antique, the manas; being shrewd and calculating is also this old antique, the manas. The mind consciousness is like a little child who can only run around attending to small matters, and it must also attend upon and look after the manas, hovering around it.

Cultivating meditative concentration (samādhi) is mainly for the purpose of manifesting and developing the wisdom of the manas, reducing its grasping tendencies (panoramic grasping), and letting it realize and affirm through enlightenment. Learning to ride a bicycle follows the same principle: no matter how dexterous the mind consciousness is, it can only facilitate the manas's mastery of the method; afterward, the manas directs the body faculty and the six consciousnesses to cooperate, and one becomes adept, nimble, and swift, without needing much participation from the mind consciousness at all. But the mind consciousness's prior learning and thinking helped the manas, providing the manas with data and material for investigation and reflection, allowing the manas to fully master it. Additionally, the situation of solving a difficult problem is very similar to this. The manas is truly marvelous and extremely quick-witted. As a consciousness-mind, it can do many things; it is by no means a blockhead.

2. Self-suggestion is the mind consciousness suggesting to the manas, giving the manas a certain amount of encouragement and motivation, making the manas more confident, more resolute in will, and more proactive in handling affairs. The method of suggestion is for the mind consciousness to say in the mind: "I (the manas) am capable; I (the manas) can do this well; I (the manas) am confident; I (the manas) can handle it; I (the manas) am excellent; I (the manas) have faith; I (the manas)..." When the mind consciousness says this, it thinks it is saying it for itself to hear, not knowing that it is suggesting to the manas, because the mind consciousness cannot distinguish between the mind consciousness and the manas, and takes the jointly operating pattern of these two consciousness-minds as a single whole "self," while being unaware and ignorant of the subtle details within.

Even so, the manas has received the suggestion and encouragement, and the mind will become invigorated, with increased inner confidence. Thereupon the manas believes this suggestion, believes that it can certainly succeed, that it has the ability to realize its self-worth and to display itself. The manas becomes more self-confident, its power grows strong, and it boldly performs bodily, verbal, and mental actions to realize its goals and achieve its aims.

3. Many people have had the experience of conversing with themselves in their minds. How can a single person carry on an internal exchange? This is an exchange between two consciousness-minds, in the form of one asking and one answering (also called asking oneself and answering oneself), or mutually deliberating and communicating with each other, which can also resolve various psychological problems. Because the functions and experiences of the two consciousness-minds differ, they can complement each other's strengths and offset each other's weaknesses. The mind consciousness's specialty is detailed thinking, analysis, reasoning, and judgment; it can help the manas discriminate the six sense objects in detail. The manas, on the other hand, is seasoned in experience, powerful in its deliberative nature (manasikāra), and powerful in its capacity for decision; moreover, it can activate the tathāgatagarbha so that wishes come true, turning ideals into reality. Its weakness is that its grasping is broad and it cannot discriminate in a fine-grained way—and the mind consciousness can exactly make up for this deficiency.

Therefore, when the manas cannot make up its mind, it should consult the mind consciousness about the ins and outs and details of the matter before making judgment and decision; when the mind consciousness cannot figure something out and does not know what to do, it hands the matter over to the manas for deep deliberation (manasikāra/manana), getting to the root of it and digging out the origin of the matter; when both cannot make up their minds, they must repeatedly exchange ideas, repeatedly deliberate, repeatedly ponder, and repeatedly weigh. When all attention is concentrated on this one great matter, the mind consciousness should analyze less, and the manas should deliberate more—like a fish sinking to the bottom of the water, unseen amid the waves.

The Śūraṅgama Sūtra describes this situation, saying: 静深不动，沙土自沉。This means that all of the mind consciousness's scattered thinking and superficial thinking at this moment disappears from view, and only the manas remains, deeply, quietly, heavily, and secretly deliberating, weighing, and deciding. Suddenly a big wave comes, and the fish leaps out of the water: the manas has deliberated and understood; slapping one's thigh—"So that's how it is!"—a sudden great awakening, everything becomes clear, the solution emerges, and the matter is resolved. Of course, before the manas secretly deliberates, the mind consciousness has already transmitted the details of the matter to the manas. The manas knows the general outline of the matter but cannot immediately make a decision and judgment; it must personally investigate it.

Sometimes it is the mind consciousness that actively wants to communicate, to explore, to obtain an answer, to solve a difficult problem. It is the mind consciousness that has the intention to communicate, and it is the mind consciousness that can express in language. The mind consciousness raises the questions it does not understand and lays them out. Who can help solve these problems? Apart from the manas, there is no second party. When the manas ponders a problem, it must not only reduce its grasping but also give play to its deliberative and decisive nature. If the manas discriminates more of the mind consciousness's thinking, it can process and refine the content of the mind consciousness's thinking, and finally the problem can be solved, satisfying the mind consciousness's request.

4. Question: Since the manas does not correspond to language and words, how can the conclusions of the mind consciousness's contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) persuade the manas? What are the channels and modes of communication between the manas and the mind consciousness? Can direct-perception contemplative practice be used to present the mode of communication between the manas and the mind consciousness?

Answer: The meaning of "the manas does not correspond to language and words" is that the manas cannot use language and words to express its own thoughts and views; it can only transmit them in the form of signals and electrical signals to the six consciousnesses and the five-aggregate body. After transmission, the physical body has automatic reactions, the six consciousnesses involuntarily contact the six sense objects, and the mind consciousness thereby obtains certain thoughts and views, obtains certain information. As for the content that the mind consciousness thinks, analyzes, and expresses, the manas can understand it in its own special way. All of the mind consciousness's thinking and discriminating activities, including language and written content, are transmitted to the manas in the form of information and settle into the manas. The manas can discriminate all of it and can also parse it; it has a certain power of determination (adhimokṣa) regarding the information transmitted by the six consciousnesses. Otherwise, the manas would be unable to make decisions and unable to take charge and direct the next course of action.

When the mind consciousness engages in contemplative practice on the Buddha-dharma, the information from the practice is simultaneously transmitted to the manas. The manas does not understand the first time, nor the second time, but over time it can understand and be perfumed, agreeing with the results of the mind consciousness's contemplative practice. This is the result of the manas activating its own distinctive deliberative and judgmental nature. If there is meditative concentration (samādhi), the manas can also deliberate on its own according to the line of the mind consciousness's contemplative thinking—either together with the mind consciousness or deliberating alone. The more deeply the mind consciousness perfumes it, the more capable the manas becomes of deliberating on its own, and thus together with the mind consciousness it can jointly eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi) and jointly attain realization of the fruits.

When the mind consciousness mutters to itself, it is transmitting messages to the manas, conferring and deliberating with the manas. The more settled and calm the mind is, the more the manas can function, and the stronger its deliberative nature. Whenever the two cannot make up their minds, the mind consciousness engages in internal psychological dialogue, as if someone were listening—of course it is speaking for the manas to hear, hoping the manas will make the decision. Sometimes when thinking about a problem in a room, the body paces back and forth in circles, paces, deliberates, walks to and fro, taps the head, and shows a contemplative expression—this is the manas contemplating and weighing, of course not apart from the mind consciousness's thinking and investigation, not apart from the mind consciousness's role as advisor.

When one encounters a problem alone with no one else to consult, the mind consciousness converses, deliberates, exchanges ideas, and communicates with the manas; in this way some countermeasures may perhaps be devised—otherwise one feels stifled inside. Who exactly is the one actively requesting the exchange and deliberation here is hard to observe: sometimes it is the mind consciousness that takes the initiative, sometimes the manas. Whichever side takes the initiative, it never departs from the manas's taking charge, nor from the manas's deliberation. Especially when sunk in deep contemplation, it is all the manas's act of deep thinking. When pacing back and forth while thinking, there is the mind consciousness's thinking, and even more so the manas's pondering and weighing. Within this, if the mind consciousness's power is great, the manas's power is small; if the mind consciousness expends less mental effort, the manas's power is great, and problem-solving also has force.

5. The mode of communication between the mind consciousness and the manas is generally by way of asking oneself and answering oneself. In asking oneself and answering oneself, who exactly asks and who answers? For example, if I now ask and have you all answer, in the end I must approve of the result, and I must summarize and synthesize before this question can be considered concluded. So when a single person asks himself and answers himself, who asks and who answers? Sometimes it is the mind consciousness asking and the manas answering: the asking is done in the form of language and words, while the answering is without language and words; when the mind consciousness understands, it says: "Oh! So that's how it is." Sometimes it is the manas asking: a questioning doubt (yiqing) appears without language and words, the mind consciousness assists with thinking and analysis and provides data, and the manas deliberates and decides on the basis of it, whereupon the solution emerges. Regardless of who asks and who answers, in the end it is always the manas that approves and assents; only when the manas makes the final decision and choice is the problem considered solved.

Investigating the huatou, investigating Chan, and investigating (cangu) all operate on the same principle as asking oneself and answering oneself: they are all relationships of close cooperation between two consciousnesses. While the mind consciousness exists, the two consciousnesses have never been separated for even a single instant; whatever the mind consciousness thinks and considers is all directed by the manas—it has never departed from the manas's control and cooperation, and there has never been a situation where the mind consciousness thinks alone without the manas participating. If the manas does not participate, the mind consciousness ceases and does not exist; the mind consciousness cannot operate independently apart from the manas. But when the mind consciousness does not exist and is not thinking, the manas can still work alone; it has never rested—imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) grasping everywhere, deliberating at all times and taking charge in every place. Even during sleep, coma, and before and after death, the manas has never had any leisure.

Therefore, if the two consciousnesses do not cooperate closely, breaking through and attaining enlightenment is impossible. Without the mind consciousness's participation, there would be no data or material, no knowledge of the detailed circumstances, and the evidence would be insufficient. If the manas does not participate in deliberation, the result is a question without an answer—there would be no answer, no result, and it would remain in the manas's mind as an unresolved problem, awaiting the manas to slowly solve it, which could be at who knows what time.

In investigating Chan, one must first give rise to a questioning doubt (yiqing), and then investigate. Having a questioning doubt is the asking; resolving the questioning doubt is the answering. This is also similar to asking oneself and answering oneself: the questioning doubt is the question, the answer is the result, and investigating Chan is the search for the result. Investigation is the mind consciousness and the manas jointly conferring and jointly exploring. When the questioning doubt is resolved, it must be that both the manas and the mind consciousness have realized and known the answer and the result, jointly resolving the doubt. Apart from the manas, the questioning doubt cannot be resolved; breaking through is the result of the joint effort of the two. The mind consciousness cannot enjoy the fruits alone—that would be unfair. In fact, no achievement whatsoever should be enjoyed or borne by the mind consciousness alone; the manas must always have its share.

6. Deep contemplation and the states of being dazed or spaced out are also similar to asking oneself and answering oneself; the skill involved is the same as that of asking oneself and answering oneself. There is also "weighing and pondering" (tuīqiāo)—pushing and knocking—which is likewise a state of searching for an answer. After being dazed, practice some weighing and pondering, repeatedly weighing and pondering, and observe what kind of skill it is and what results it yields. When a problem appears, that is the "pushing"; what does "knocking" mean? It means pondering, deliberating, weighing, and probing deeply. In fact, everyone can investigate Chan and has investigated Chan; they just do not know how to summarize the experience or apply it to the Buddha-dharma. Holding a pen in hand, resting the chin on it, brows tightly furrowed, gaze concentrated—what is that person doing? That is the manas investigating, in a relatively focused manner.

Some people first perceive with intuition before doing something, and then they know what to do. It seems like leap-thinking, but it is actually the manas's intuitive function, without the mind consciousness's thinking, analysis, and research. When the mind is relatively calm, the manas's perceptive power is great and its intuition is strong; it can weigh and discern the root and essence of a matter, bypassing the mind consciousness's step-by-step mode of thinking. The manas's deep thinking is not the kind of superficial thinking of the mind consciousness; when this thinking is not observed and understood by the mind consciousness, it is described as leap-thinking.

There are also people who, whenever thinking about a problem, shine light from the location of the celestial eye, as if they can quickly understand the problem being considered. This is a state of concentrated attention—thinking within meditative concentration (samādhi)—which can solve problems very quickly. Still others, when thinking, squint their eyes, or fix their gaze straight on one spot, or fix it on no spot at all. These are all states of the manas's concentrated attention; of course the mind consciousness is even more focused, but the mind consciousness's thinking seems to be absent, while the manas's mental activity is very evident. In this way, problems are solved fastest, most directly, and most thoroughly.