Mental Factors of the Mind base\: A Practical Compass (Second Edition) (with over 30,000 additional words, reorganized)
Section 2: The Mental Factor of Desire (chanda-caitta)
1. The Driving Role of the Manas's Mental Factor of Desire
Desire refers to aspiration, intention, yearning, and longing. For example, yearning for the land of bliss (sukhāvatī): if only the mind consciousness yearns but the manas does not, recollection of the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti) will be useless and one cannot reach the land of bliss. Only when there is simultaneously the manas's yearning and desire can one be born in the land of bliss. The manas's yearning and desire is called deep faith and earnest vow.
If the manas has no thoughts or wishes, no endeavor can be accomplished. If the manas no longer longs for the worldly dharmas of the three realms, then at the end of life it enters Nirvāṇa without remainder (Anupadhiśeṣa-nirvāṇa). An arhat is one whose manas no longer longs for any worldly dharma, having severed desire and craving for all dharmas of the world; at the end of life, all worldly dharmas cease to manifest, and thus the manas ceases, and there is no longer life or world. Only when the manas wants to attain realization and yearns for seeing the mind and seeing the nature will it choose to diligently cultivate the Buddha-dharma, continuously fulfilling the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment. If the manas has no such thoughts, aims, or wishes, it will not diligently apply effort; the mind consciousness's thoughts have no decisive effect—only when they have perfumed the manas do they work. If the manas does not want to study Buddhism, the mind consciousness cannot contemplate the Buddha-dharma; instead it will follow the manas in chasing worldly dharmas and engaging in worldly affairs.
Wanting is longing, is desire. If the manas has no desire, it makes no choices, does not tend toward anything, takes no action, and the corresponding dharmas do not arise. When the mind consciousness wants to cultivate and be diligent, if it has not mobilized the manas, it is merely a thought; true diligence is impossible, and actual action is impossible. Actual action is determined and carried out by the manas.
2. The Basis of Desire for Accomplishment Fulfills the Manas's Desire
The basis of desire for accomplishment (chanda-ṛddhi-pāda) means the mind has the power to realize its own desires, to have things go as one wishes, to fulfill what one seeks—this refers to the manas's desire. The basis of desire for accomplishment is mainly the manas's meditative concentration (samādhi), the manas's intention; through the mind consciousness's cultivation, the manas is given the power to reach its goal and fulfill its desires. When cultivating meditative concentration, the mind that wants to fly and transform also refers to the manas; then the tathāgatagarbha cooperates with the manas's mental factor of deliberation (manasikāra), fulfilling the manas's needs and desires, enabling the physical body to fly and transform. Although the mind consciousness's desire is present simultaneously, the consciousness's desire serves to mobilize and guide the manas, to make the manas have the same desire; ultimately it is the manas's desire that plays the decisive role, and behind the desire is the tathāgatagarbha's cooperation to fulfill the manas's wish.
The basis of desire for accomplishment is mainly the manas's desire—the manas gets its wish, its desire fulfilled. When the manas has power and wants to achieve some goal, the tathāgatagarbha has no choice but to satisfy the manas; if the manas has no power, the tathāgatagarbha has no way to cooperate. It still relies on the mind consciousness's contemplation and leading, cooperating with the manas to achieve the goal. The manas utilizes the six consciousnesses and the eighth consciousness to realize all its aims and wishes. The manas's power is the power of meditative concentration, the power of choice, and the power of mastery.
3. Purpose and Desire Are the Manas's Mental Factor of Desire
People who have not studied Buddhism always have purposes in dealing with people and affairs; Buddhist practitioners who have not cultivated the mind to a state of nonaction also generally have purposes. Which mind possesses this purposiveness? It belongs both to the mind consciousness and to the manas. Purposiveness that is planned, premeditated, step-by-step, and methodical belongs to the mind consciousness, but most of it is driven by the manas's purposiveness; what is done unconsciously is the manas's purposiveness. Sentient beings act driven by desire; their minds all have purposes. Those who act without desire or seeking, following conditions freely, are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
The purposiveness and desire that exist before an affair is done belong to the manas. Sometimes, however, the manas's desire and purposiveness arise through the mind consciousness's instigation and instruction. Only after the manas has desire does it drive the six consciousnesses to carry out bodily, verbal, and mental actions according to its desire, to satisfy the manas's desire. During their operation, the six consciousnesses each also have their own desires, which then influence and transform the manas, making the manas extinguish its own desires or generate new ones. When a person comes over to contact you, they certainly already have something they seek, a purpose—it is only a question of whether that purpose is right or wrong, wholesome or unwholesome.
If someone is not a bodhisattva of vast capacity, not a bodhisattva whose mind is partly or wholly in a state of nonaction, and he claims that he acts with absolutely no desire or seeking, it is best not to believe him. Even a bodhisattva whose mind is already in nonaction still has wholesome desire, such as wanting to teach and transform sentient beings, wanting all beings to be liberated from the sea of suffering, and so on. If the manas has no purpose, He rests and does nothing. Even the Buddha's manas has purposiveness—for the liberation of sentient beings, without any personal selfish interest or desire. The Buddha came to the Sahā world with the purpose of benefiting sentient beings; otherwise He would not have come. Some people have purposes in their minds, and their manas has purposes, but they themselves do not know it, cannot detect it, or deliberately do not detect it. If the mind consciousness is not meticulous, it cannot know the manas's hidden desires and purposes. In fact they are not hidden—there is simply no wisdom to discover them.
4. The Desire of the Master-Consciousness, the Manas, Plays the Decisive Role
If the manas has already severed the desire for food and drink, even if the mind consciousness pays much attention to and takes extra looks at fine delicacies of the desire realm, the manas will not give rise to greed, will not want to indulge in fine food, but merely follows conditions. If the manas has already severed sexual desire, even if the mind consciousness takes extra looks at the opposite sex, there will be no subsequent mental activity, because the manas does not chase or crave, and the mind consciousness cannot have extra thoughts and desires. If the manas has already severed greed, not craving anything regarding food, clothing, housing, or use, then even if the mind consciousness is in a luxurious living environment, greed does not arise; its eating, clothing, housing, and use still follow previous habits—these are the manas's habits. The bodily, verbal, and mental actions of eating, clothing, housing, and use are decided by the manas and must conform to the manas's habits.
Wanting to become a Buddha is superior desire; wanting to see the mind and see the nature is superior desire; wanting to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa) and attain the fruit of liberation is superior desire. If only the mind consciousness has this superior desire but the manas does not, then the manas will not take charge of diligent cultivation, will not spontaneously cultivate the three unconditioned learnings, will not spontaneously keep precepts, will not spontaneously cultivate meditative concentration, will not spontaneously read sūtras and contemplate, much less engage in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and investigating the dharma meaning, and likewise will not, morning and evening, keep every thought on cultivation. Only when the manas has superior desire can it actively impel the six consciousnesses to cultivate, keeping the mind consciousness's every thought on studying and practicing Buddhism, enabling the mind consciousness to find ways to remove all interference and obstacles and cultivate diligently.
After studying Buddhism, the mind consciousness has subdued its greed for meat, knowing that eating meat creates unwholesome karmic connections with sentient beings and brings bad retribution; but the manas has not subdued its greed for meat. When encountering meat, the mind consciousness knows it should not be eaten, yet the manas somewhat wants to eat it. The mind consciousness then advises the manas: cannot eat meat, should eat vegetarian; the manas temporarily endures. But when the mind consciousness stops advising for a while, and with a moment of inattention, the manas decides to take a bite to satisfy the craving—and so a bite of meat is eaten. The mind consciousness, having complied with the manas, relaxes its vigilance, and the manas decides to take another bite. If the mind consciousness does not condemn the manas, the manas will indulge itself and keep eating, until finally the mind consciousness cannot control the manas and simply gives in: might as well eat, since I've already eaten. Failure to quit smoking follows the same principle; failure to quit gambling or drugs is the same principle—the mind consciousness truly cannot control the manas. The manas's afflictive habits far exceed the mind consciousness's rationality, so the mind consciousness has no choice but to follow the manas.
Therefore, if only the mind consciousness cultivates and the mind consciousness severs afflictions while the manas does not sever afflictions, that is not true severance of afflictions. If the mind consciousness eradicates the view of self but the manas does not, that is not true eradication of the view of self. If the mind consciousness understands the principle but the manas does not, that is not true understanding. No one can walk on one leg; the mind consciousness and the manas, the two legs, must move in sync, or one closely following the other, to walk well. People whose minds incline toward goodness almost all have the experience of the mind consciousness guiding and advising the manas, because the manas does not understand principles and does not know good from bad; the mind consciousness must be troubled to do extra work, to repeatedly instruct the manas toward goodness, and only then can bodily, verbal, and mental actions be wholesome. The manas has the nature of mastery and decision-making power—this one point alone demonstrates the manas's powerful functioning. From various examples, if the manas has no longing, no desire, no dharma can be established; all would vanish, and one would necessarily be in Nirvāṇa without remainder.
5. Inner Disappointment Is Due to the Manas's Unfulfilled Desires
The eighth consciousness always tries its best to cooperate with the manas's mental factor of deliberation, trying its best to satisfy all the manas's needs, without a trace of complaint. But whether the manas has the merit (puṇya) for such enjoyment, whether seeds have been planted, whether the seeds have matured, whether the conditions for the retribution to grow are complete—this is a big question. If these conditions are not complete, the eighth consciousness has no way to satisfy the manas's needs and wants.
The various dissatisfactions in the human world show that the eighth consciousness has no way to satisfy the manas's desires and needs. Only when the manas has needs that go unfulfilled does one feel things are unsatisfactory. If the manas has no needs, there is no lament or feeling of dissatisfaction, because no such goal was ever set, no such requirement existed; without requirements, without intention, without desire, of course one would not want to harvest fruit; without harvesting fruit, of course there would be no disappointment or sighing. Of course, many of the wishes the manas sets may be unknown to the mind consciousness, so it does not know why the manas is unhappy or displeased, why there is inexplicable melancholy and sense of loss, why there is inexplicable jealousy of others.
6. "Wishes Come True" Is Accomplished by the Manas's Mental Factor of Desire
"Wishes come true" is accomplished by the manas impelling the tathāgatagarbha, representing the fulfillment of the manas's wishes. Within "wishes come true" there is the mind consciousness's desiring thought and also the manas's desiring thought. The mind consciousness's desiring thought needs to pass the manas's determination (adhimokṣa) and review; if the manas agrees and accepts the perfuming, it can have the same desiring thought as the mind consciousness, and then the tathāgatagarbha cooperates with this desiring thought, making what the manas thinks come to fruition. If the mind consciousness's desiring thought is not approved by the manas, and the manas does not want it, then the consciousness's thinking is in vain, a useless effort. As for the manas's own independent desiring thought, the mind consciousness may not detect it, yet it can still come to fruition; when it does, the mind consciousness may still not know it was conceived by the manas's desiring thought—this is the mind consciousness's foolishness.
7. The Manas's Three Courses of Affliction
Original text of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra:又有三种。诸烦恼趣。令诸有情。流转生死。谓于胜欲。发意悕求。名初烦恼趣。于色无色界。胜自体中。发意悕求。名第二烦恼趣。于邪解脱。发意悕求。名第三烦恼趣。
Explanation: There are again three courses toward affliction that cause sentient beings to transmigrate through birth and death. The first is that sentient beings, because of desire for wholesome dharmas, are bound by superior desire; this causes them to be unable to leave the three realms, and they must pursue the Buddha-dharma life after life within the three realms until becoming a Buddha—this is the wholesome dharma desire of bodhisattvas who have made the great vow. Because they do not leave the three realms, there is suffering within the three realms, some subtle feelings of suffering—this is the first course of affliction. This superior desire refers to the manas's wholesome desire, wanting to continually pursue the Buddha-dharma, benefiting self and benefiting others, and therefore undergoing birth and death within the three-realm world.
The second is that sentient beings, toward the superior retributions of the form realm and formless realm, give rise to longing, and are thereby bound in birth and death, unable to attain liberation. Beings in the form and formless realms are superior in their own bodies to beings of the desire realm and have superior retributions. But because beings long for the superior retributions of the form and formless realms, long for the meditative concentration of those realms, long for the meritorious enjoyments of those realms, they are bound by the retributions of the form and formless realms, cannot leave the three realms, and thus have the suffering of birth and death in the three realms. This is sentient beings' second course of affliction. Here the "giving rise to intention and longing" is precisely the manas's giving rise to intention and longing, and finally the wish is fulfilled.
The third is that sentient beings give rise to intention seeking false liberation; due to wrong views and non-Dharma-accordant methods of practice, not only do they fail to attain liberation, they sink ever deeper into the abyss of birth and death. They have the desire for liberation but do not encounter the true dharma of liberation; they encounter non-Buddhist paths, practice non-Buddhist paths, and wish to attain liberation through non-Dharma-accordant non-Buddhist methods; as a result they are bound by the wrong views (mithyā-dṛṣṭi) of non-Buddhists and cannot attain liberation. This is the third course of affliction. This too is the manas's giving rise to intention and longing for false liberation, not merely the mind consciousness's.
Whether the longing is for the true dharma or for false dharmas, the final longing is initiated by the manas; initially it is initiated by the mind consciousness through contact with these two kinds of dharma, gradually influencing the manas, which then begins to diligently study the true dharma or false dharmas, and only then can one ultimately attain liberation, or fall into even deeper bondage of birth and death.
8. The Three Desires of Three Kinds of Sentient Beings
Original text of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra:又有三种诸有情类。欲为根本作业方便。一为得胜欲。二为得胜自体。三为证胜解脱道。
Explanation: There are again three kinds of sentient beings who take desire as the fundamental basis and adopt various methods of practice, wishing to attain liberation. The first kind of sentient being's desire is to obtain the most superior retribution, to realize the fruit of the Mahāyāna bodhisattva and accomplish the Buddha-way—this is supremely superior, without compare, called the unsurpassed dharma. Therefore they do not, like arhats, realize Nirvāṇa without remainder, but life after life within the world of the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) benefit self and benefit others. This is superior wholesome dharma desire.
The second kind of sentient being's desire is to obtain more superior pleasures of the five desires and greater merit; the result may be rebirth in heaven to enjoy blessings, and when the blessings are exhausted, falling again. As for bodily retribution, they obtain a celestial body and living environment; the result is still bondage of birth and death.
The third kind of sentient being's desire is ultimately to obtain superior liberation retribution. One kind is arhats and pratyekabuddhas who want the liberation fruit of leaving the three realms; the result is realizing Nirvāṇa without remainder, leaving the three realms, obtaining temporary liberation. Another kind is bodhisattvas who want to obtain the most superior liberation of all Buddhas; the result is attaining ultimate great liberation, realizing the apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa of the Buddha-bhūmi.
Desire is the cause of birth and death, yet pursuit of the Mahāyāna dharma of becoming a Buddha leads bodhisattvas not to enter Nirvāṇa without remainder, forever broadly benefiting sentient beings in the three realms. The six consciousnesses have desire, and the manas has even more desire; mainly because of the manas's desire, birth and death are unceasing and transmigration unending. If only the six consciousnesses have desire and the manas has none, the six consciousnesses' desire also has no effect—it arises and immediately ceases—and birth and death can surely be ended. If only the six consciousnesses sever desire while the manas does not, the manas will surely take charge with desires and cravings, the six consciousnesses will surely create greedy karmic actions, birth and death cannot be ended, and transmigration will not cease. If the manas has desires for the three realms, it cannot sever craving-love for the three realms and cannot leave the three realms.
Arhats, because they have severed the manas's grasping at self, have severed craving-love for the three realms—that is, severed desire for the three realms—and only then can they leave the three realms and enter Nirvāṇa without remainder. If an arhat turns the mind toward the Mahāyāna, because a mind of delight has arisen toward the Mahāyāna dharma and there is desire for the Mahāyāna dharma, the manas is bound by this desire; at the end of life it will certainly not enter Nirvāṇa without remainder, but will certainly have a desire-realm physical body and five aggregates to continue studying the Mahāyāna dharma, seeking to see the mind and see the nature and become a Buddha—this is the wholesome dharma desire of the bodhisattvas of the common vehicle (通教). If only the mind consciousness has wholesome dharma desire and the manas does not, then the manas is not bound by wholesome dharma desire, has no desire or seeking for three-realm dharmas, and at the end of life will certainly take Nirvāṇa without remainder.
9. Having Desire and Longing for Three-Realm Dharmas, One Cannot Attain Liberation
Original text of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 14:复有三种。从因所生。有漏法因。若于此中。不如正理。修方便者。能生诸苦。若能如理。修方便者。于苦于因。能知能断。谓于欲界系法。染污希求。于色无色界。系法亦尔。
Explanation: There are again three kinds of causes that produce tainted dharmas from causes; because the initial causes of these practitioners' cultivation are impure and not pure, they produce tainted dharmas and thus cannot cultivate to the untainted, cannot attain liberation. These three causes are: first, toward dharmas of the desire realm that bind one's own mind and prevent liberation, having an impure intention, giving rise to longing, craving and clinging to desire-realm dharmas, unable to break free; second, toward dharmas of the form realm that bind one's own mind and prevent liberation, having an impure intention, giving rise to longing, craving the form realm, unable to break free; third, toward dharmas of the formless realm that bind one's own mind and prevent liberation, giving rise to longing, craving without letting go, unable to attain liberation. If, in cultivation, one cannot observe the faults of these three causes that produce tainted dharmas in accordance with principle, and has no corresponding methods to counteract them, then in the end suffering and the faults of birth and death will be produced; if in the process of cultivation one can observe their faults in accordance with principle, has corresponding skillful means to counteract them, distances oneself from longing and desire for the three realms, and knows the causes of suffering in the three realms, then one can sever suffering and the faults of birth and death.
On the surface, the worldly dharmas of the three realms all bind the six consciousnesses, but in fact they mainly bind the manas. It is the manas's attachment to three-realm dharmas that allows the five aggregates to be born and survive in the three realms, undergoing birth and death and transmigration within them. If the manas does not crave three-realm dharmas, the six consciousnesses' greed has no effect; moreover, the six consciousnesses are ceasing dharmas, already extinguished at the time of rebirth. Because of the manas's craving and attachment, karmic seeds are stored in the tathāgatagarbha, and in the next life one will certainly be reborn into the three realms on account of the manas's craving and the karmic seeds. If the manas craves the desire realm, it is bound by the desire realm; if the manas craves the form realm, it is bound by the form realm; if the manas craves the formless realm, it is bound by the formless realm.
If the manas craves the desire realm as well as the form and formless realms, the being cannot be born into the form or formless realms and will certainly be bound by the lowest level of craving. Therefore, to sever desire within the desire realm, it cannot be merely the surface severance of desire by the mind consciousness; the manas deep within must also sever desire. Otherwise there can be no first dhyāna, and one cannot leave the desire realm and be born into the form and formless realms. The same principle applies to craving for the form and formless realms.
10. Why the Unmanifest Form (avijñapti-rūpa) Produced in Making Vows and Receiving Precepts Has Functional Efficacy
Making vows has two kinds: the superficial formalism of the mind consciousness, and the manas's sincerity and earnestness. A true vow must issue from the depths of the mind—that is, from the manas. If the manas makes the vow, the wish will sooner or later be realized, because the manas has power, can make choices, can take charge, does not cease, and can go on to future lives, where it will likewise unconsciously realize its wish; most importantly, there is the tathāgatagarbha's compliance and cooperation. Even when the mind consciousness disappears, or is in a coma and unable to govern itself, or is replaced, the manas continues to exist and can realize its wishes.
Rebirth in the land of bliss is like this: without the mind consciousness's knowledge, the manas leads the tathāgatagarbha to the land of bliss to build a lotus flower, so that at the time of rebirth one can ride it swiftly to the land of bliss. If deep in the mind the manas does not want rebirth there, and it is merely spoken words, no lotus will appear, because building the lotus is not decided by the mind consciousness but by the manas; then with the tathāgatagarbha's cooperation, a lotus-palace can be built. Therefore, if an undertaking does not reach deep into the manas, it has no substantive effect whatsoever.
When a pure great vow is issued from the manas and resonates with the manas, it will be stored as a seed; in later lives, when the manas resonates with the seed and with the vow, one can refrain from creating unwholesome karma and can realize the wish—this is the functioning of the unmanifest form as the substance of precepts. The mind consciousness in later lives has been replaced, is not the original one, and does not remember having made the vow; when matters arise, it does whatever it would do. The mind consciousness's vow will not have much influence on later lives, cannot form unmanifest form, and thus no substance of precepts appears. Therefore, when receiving precepts in the precept arena and making vows, one must be solemn, earnest, and sincere, must contemplate attentively, and must seek the Buddha's power of blessing, in order to obtain the substance of precepts.
For example, the Four Great Vows we make in studying Buddhism, and the Ten Inexhaustible Vows made around entering the first bhūmi—who issued these vows? First, through studying Buddhism, our mind consciousness understood the importance of making vows, knowing that making vows can enable one to become a Buddha sooner and broadly deliver immeasurable beings. These thoughts of the mind consciousness also perfume the manas; before the manas is well perfumed, the vows made are mere formalities, not very sincere. If the manas has no intention or thoughts, has not given rise to much attention (manaskāra) or discernment toward this, it also has no resolute mind—it is merely going through the motions. When the mind consciousness successfully perfumes the manas, the manas becomes interested in these vows and develops the mental factor of desire and wishes.
The process of the mind consciousness perfuming the manas is: first the mind consciousness is perfumed and becomes interested in making vows, then transmits this information to the manas, and conveys the content of the vow to the manas. This requires a period of perfuming; only after the mind consciousness repeatedly contemplates many times and continually conveys information to the manas will the manas take it seriously and give rise to attention toward this vow. After attention, through the operation of the mental factors of contact, feeling, and perception, the content of the vow is discerned. It deliberates on the benefits that making this vow can bring, knowing it is beneficial to oneself, can impel one to become a Buddha quickly, and can broadly deliver immeasurable beings.
Then the manas decides to make the vow; this deliberation (manasikāra) and decision are the function of its mental factor of deliberation. After the eighth consciousness discerns this, it complies and cooperates; the six consciousnesses and the seventh consciousness together give rise to the Four Great Vows and the Ten Inexhaustible Vows, willing to forever benefit and bring joy to sentient beings and to accomplish the Buddha-way quickly. This vow-making certainly cannot be separated from the manas's vow—wanting to become a Buddha quickly, wanting to deliver sentient beings, wanting to attain the Buddha's fruit as soon as possible—so here there is the manas's intention and the mental activity of wanting to become a Buddha.
11. The Manas's Mental Factor of Desire Differs from the Mind Consciousness's Desire
The natures of the manas and the mind consciousness are hard for ordinary people to distinguish, and the mental factors of the two minds are even harder to distinguish. Because the manas's nature is deep and subtle and hard to know, and its mental factors are even more subtle, without cultivating to the wisdom level of transforming consciousness into wisdom, it is difficult to directly observe the manas's operation; therefore one will not observe the mental factors and will have many misunderstandings about the natures and mental factors of the manas and the mind consciousness, with much confusion.
For example, some say the manas has no intention, no mental activity of wanting to obtain anything; that wanting and intention are the mind consciousness's mental factor of desire, and the manas has no mental factor of desire, and therefore the manas has no intention, no mental activity of wanting to achieve a goal. But if the manas has no intention of its own and no mental activity of wanting to achieve some purpose, then on what basis does the manas make choices? On what basis does it take charge? How are all dharmas brought about by the manas? Is the manas still the engine that manifests the myriad dharmas? If the manas has no intention or purpose, on what do the six consciousnesses act and create?
As for the desire of this mental factor of desire, the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra says: "Toward desirable objects, following various courses, having the nature of wanting to act." This is the characteristic of the mental factor of desire, meaning that toward desirable states, states one likes, the consciousness-mind follows its own desire-mind, wanting to do something, hoping to possess such states, to achieve its purpose and satisfy its desire. Toward the states of the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses have longing, wishes, greed, and craving; but the manas also has desires and wishes—desires and wishes from the depths of the mind. What can stir the six consciousnesses to give rise to the desire-mind is the manas's desire. Because the manas has desires and wishes, it impels the mind consciousness to have the same wishes and impels the six consciousnesses to realize them. The wishes of the master-consciousness are often easily realized, whereas the mind consciousness's wishes must be approved by the manas and realized with the manas taking charge.
After attaining the bhūmis, the manas has severed a portion of afflictions and subdued some others, transforming into one or several portions of the equality wisdom (samatā-jñāna). Although the manas has no mental activities such as craving-love for the six sense objects, it still has pure intentions, wishes, and vow-power. Whether the manas has afflicted mental factors or is without afflicted mental factors, the manas indeed has wishes and intentions it wants to fulfill.
12. The Six Consciousnesses' Mental Factor of Desire Does Not Exist Apart from the Manas's Desire
The six consciousnesses' mental factor of desire also does not exist apart from the manas's desire; all the six consciousnesses' desires and cravings also operate not apart from the manas's desire—the manas can mobilize the six consciousnesses to give rise to desire. According to the wisdom of direct realization in Consciousness-Only, the manas's intentions and other mental activities are also realized through its five universal mental factors of attention (manaskāra), contact (sparśa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), and deliberation (celā/cetanā). Whatever the manas wants to obtain, do, is interested in, or wishes to achieve, it gives rise to attention toward that target and draws the mind toward that state. When it has a target of interest, this mental factor of attention, in the seed stage, will arise; after discerning the target object, it then deliberates and makes a choice.
Then, on what basis does the manas give rise to intention and the mental activity of wanting something? We must look at the manas's nature. The manas perpetually grasps the perceiving-aspect (darśana-bhāga) of the eighth consciousness as the view of self, taking the functioning that can see all dharmas as its own—this is the dharma-view-of-self. It also grasps the perceiving-aspect of the six consciousnesses as the view of self—this is the five-aggregate view of self, taking the aggregate of consciousness as self; this is the personal view of self. What does internal grasping of the eighth consciousness's perceiving-aspect mean? It means the manas is produced by the eighth consciousness, within the eighth consciousness, not outside it; therefore it internally grasps the eighth consciousness's perceiving-aspect as the view of self, taking the eighth consciousness's functions as its own functions.
Then what does "external" mean? The mind consciousness is produced by the eighth consciousness based on the manas's contact with mental objects (dharma-objects) and the arising of attention; thus the mind consciousness is not produced by the manas. The two consciousness-minds are in a parallel, equal relationship—neither is within the other, neither produces the other; both are produced by the eighth consciousness. Since they are two consciousness-minds that do not belong to each other, the manas is therefore outside the mind consciousness, externally grasping the six consciousnesses, grasping the six consciousnesses' perceiving as the view of self, taking the six consciousnesses' functions as its own functions—this is the personal view of self.
What does it mean that the manas grasps the eighth consciousness's perceiving-aspect as self? It means that whatever dharmas the eighth consciousness can see and take as object, the manas, relying on the eighth consciousness, can also see and take as object. The eighth consciousness takes as object the essential realm (本质境), while the manas takes as object the image of the essential realm. The eighth consciousness can see and take as object the faculties, the body, the material world (器界), seeds—all dharmas; the manas takes as object the mirror-image, illusory aspects of all dharmas. The faculties-and-body are sentient beings' six faculties; "material world" refers to the universe's container-world, mountains, rivers, the great earth, and so on; "realms" refers to the three realms, the eighteen realms, the ten dharma realms; "seeds" refers to karmic seeds. Thus the manas, relying on the eighth consciousness's perceiving-aspect, takes as object the mirror-images of the faculties, body, material world, and seeds that the eighth consciousness sees and takes as object—not the originals. The eighth consciousness's range of objects is extremely broad, including all mental dharmas and material forms; the manas follows the eighth consciousness, and its range of objects is likewise extremely broad, universally taking as object the mirror-images of all dharmas. In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra the World-Honored One said the manas "silently encompasses all dharmas"—this is the meaning.
The manas also takes as object the six consciousnesses' perceiving-aspect as the view of self. The dharmas the six consciousnesses see, the manas certainly takes as object and sees first, attends first, contacts and deliberates first, and only then do the six consciousnesses arise; the six consciousnesses then attend, contact and deliberate on the six sense objects, and afterward the manas can know the process and results of the six consciousnesses' contacting and deliberating, and takes it to be its own discernment, its own seeing. The six consciousnesses can specifically discern exactly what the six sense-object states are, while the manas cannot make specific discernments and does not know the specific contents. After the six consciousnesses discern the six objects, the manas, based on the information results transmitted by the six consciousnesses, also takes as object the results of that discernment—here the essentials they take as object differ. That is, the manas can take these states as object without itself knowing what their contents are; only by relying on the six consciousnesses' discernment can it know, and it takes this to be its own knowing. It therefore wants the six consciousnesses to constantly do the discerning and does not want the six consciousness-minds to cease. Here we have the manas's mental factor of perception, and subsequently the operation of the manas's mental factor of deliberation will be involved.
For example, the manas life after life craves delicious flavors. When the craving habit manifests, after the eighth consciousness manifests the inner representation (内相分) of delicious food, the manas, relying on the eighth consciousness's perceiving-aspect, has its own perceiving-aspect, and thus gives rise to the mental factor of greed, wanting to taste and possess these foods, developing interest and intention toward the food. Not knowing that these foods are merely an image that does not truly exist, it attends to the image of the food, contacts the image of the food, wanting to taste—the five universal mental factors then manifest and operate. Finally the mental factor of deliberation makes the decision to taste and finds a way to obtain the delicious food. In fact it is not He who tastes and possesses; He impels the six consciousnesses to combine to taste the food. The manas merely foolishly appropriates the six consciousnesses' function of tasting food as its own, taking it that it itself tasted and enjoyed, and thus feels satisfied.
13. The Question of Ancestral Grave Fengshui Shows the Manas Has the Mental Factor of Desire
For example, grave sites (tombs of beings' past lives). The tombs of past lives are held and taken as object by sentient beings' eighth consciousnesses; the manas, based on the eighth consciousness's perceiving-aspect, also takes as object this past-life tomb—of course taking as object the tomb's image. It then gives rise to attention toward the tomb; after contact, it has reception and experience of the tomb; after reception, it discerns the tomb's condition; after discerning, the mental factor of deliberation arises, deliberating on how to handle it, and then makes a decision. Seeing that the tomb is already in bad shape, dilapidated, overgrown with weeds, untended, it gives rise to the mental factor of deliberation—not wanting holes, not wanting it dilapidated, not wanting weeds, etc.—and decides to have its past-life children repair the tomb.
After the manas gives rise to such a decision, the eighth consciousness discerns this mental factor of deliberation and this attention, and cooperates with it. But the seventh consciousness cannot do much itself, because the tomb was left from a past life, and this life's mind consciousness does not know of it and cannot have this life's five aggregates do it. The manas then decides to alert its past-life descendants who are capable of doing this, to have them repair the tomb. The eighth consciousness discerns the manas's mental factor of deliberation and cooperates with the manas to alert and inform its past-life descendants, causing these descendants to encounter some tribulations and setbacks.
Who and where the past-life descendants are, the manas does not know, but the eighth consciousness has records—seeds are stored there. The eighth consciousness discerns the seeds, takes the seeds as object, and can follow the vine to find the melon—locating the past-life descendants; of course here there is communication and interaction between sentient beings' eighth consciousnesses, mutually influencing. The manas, relying on the eighth consciousness's perceiving-aspect, also discerns these matters, and the eighth consciousness then complies with the manas's wishes, creating some tribulations for these descendants. After tribulations appear, the descendants will consult someone about fengshui, learn it concerns the ancestral grave, and go repair it. When the manas knows its tomb has been repaired, it no longer troubles the descendants, and the descendants are at peace.
These matters have nothing to do with the present-life mind consciousness; the mind consciousness knows nothing of it and does not participate—it is all done by the manas leading the eighth consciousness. From this example we know the manas has intention, has the mental activity of wanting, has wishes, has ideas—this is desire, the "yi-yu" of "what does the mind intend" (意欲何为). Only because it has the mental activity of wanting does it make decisions and take charge; only because it has intentions and things of interest does it chase after objects and give rise to attention. The eighth consciousness, based on the manas's mental factor of deliberation and attention, cooperates with the manas's operation—here there is fundamentally nothing for the mind consciousness to do. Our mind consciousness knows nothing of these matters, yet the eighth consciousness and the manas accomplished them. His past-life family will repair the tomb, and the manas's purpose is achieved—and having a purpose is desire.
From this matter we see that the manas has intention, has the mental activity of wanting, has purposiveness. It has some discerning wisdom, has the mental factor of wisdom, sufficient for the manas to make decisions to achieve its aims and fulfill its wishes. It can take dharmas as object following the eighth consciousness, and its range of objects is extremely broad. This shows the manas's scope of activity is extremely broad; its capabilities are remarkable—it can lead the eighth consciousness to do anything, provided the causal conditions are complete. Therefore, when the manas has intention, has the mental activity of wanting, has things of interest, it will decide to do them, because it has a backstage supporter—the boss, the attendant, or the servant—and that is the eighth consciousness.
14. The Lotus Platform of the Land of Bliss Shows the Manas Has the Mental Factor of Desire
For example, we Buddhists hope to be reborn in the land of bliss through recollection of the Buddha. Through studying Buddhism, the six consciousness-minds learn how supremely wondrous and adorned the land of bliss is, and the mind consciousness gives rise to longing and yearning, thereby perfuming the manas. The manas, taking as object the mind consciousness's contemplation and study of the Buddha-dharma, gives rise to yearning for the land of bliss, develops the intention of rebirth, and becomes interested in the land of bliss. So the manas certainly has things of interest and intentions; thus the manas makes the vow, wanting rebirth in the land of bliss—this is the manas being successfully perfumed. Such vow-making is issued with sincerity. If the manas has not been successfully perfumed, the mind consciousness's vow-making is empty words, a mere formality, insincere, and the power of the vow is negligible.
After the manas makes the vow of rebirth in the land of bliss, the mind consciousness studies Buddhism and recollects the Buddha even more diligently, with a non-retreating, unshakable mind. Then the manas gives rise to attention toward the land of bliss, and the eighth consciousness complies and cooperates with the manas, manifesting images of the land of bliss. After the manas, through contact, feeling, perception, and deliberation regarding these images, decides to build a lotus-palace in the seven-jeweled pond of the land of bliss, preparing it for its own rebirth. The eighth consciousness complies and cooperates with the manas, building in the seven-jeweled pond of the land of bliss this lotus platform on which one will ride at rebirth. As for what quality to build—a vajra platform, a purple-gold platform, or an ordinary multicolored lotus platform—that depends on the cultivation merit of the five aggregates. The karmic seeds of the five aggregates' Buddhist cultivation are always present in the eighth consciousness; when building the lotus platform, the eighth consciousness transforms and builds it according to the pure karma of the five aggregates' practice, never building arbitrarily. If the karmic seeds of pure karma change, the quality of the lotus platform will also change. Regarding this matter of retribution, the manas cannot take charge.
So we are clear about what is actually in charge of sentient beings' existence in the three-realm world. The manas wants to take charge, but without corresponding karmic seeds, the eighth consciousness has no way either—for even a clever wife cannot cook without rice. However well the eighth consciousness can cook, however many delicacies it can produce, the five aggregates must still prepare the rice, flour, grain, and oil. Our mind consciousness knows nothing of the matter of transforming and building the lotus platform in the seven-jeweled pond of the land of bliss. This shows the manas has its own intentions and wishes; it has the mental activity of wanting and things of interest—this is the mental factor of desire. Therefore the manas can, through the mind consciousness's perfuming, give rise to the pure great vow of rebirth; the eighth consciousness discerns its mental activity and cooperates with it, transforming and building this lotus platform.
If the five aggregates become lax in cultivation and regress in the Path-mind, and the manas no longer wants to go to the land of bliss, then the eighth consciousness also discerns the manas's mental activity and no longer holds and builds that lotus; the lotus gradually withers and finally disappears. This matter shows the manas has intentional mental activity; it has the mental activities of wanting to do and not wanting to do—this is desire. Therefore, in making vows in Buddhism, it is mainly the manas that makes the vow; any vow sincerely issued from the depths of the heart outward is the manas's vow, the manas's intention.
15. The Arhat Emerging from the Cessation Attainment Shows the Manas Has the Mental Factor of Desire
For example, take an arhat liberated in both ways (ubhayatobhāgavimukta) who sits in meditation and enters the attainment of cessation (nirodha-samāpatti). Within the cessation attainment, only the eighth consciousness and the manas remain, and even the manas's two mental factors of feeling and perception have ceased, leaving only the three mental factors of attention, contact, and deliberation. After the arhat enters meditative concentration by sitting, the next day he must emerge, because while possessing a physical body he must also go on alms rounds and eat. When the time to seek alms arrives the next day, the manas wants to emerge from concentration. Why can the manas know it is mealtime, time for alms rounds? Because time is determined by the degree of brightness of the rising sun; time exists based on matter, a provisional dharma manifested in dependence on the eighth consciousness, called a dissociated conditioned force (心不相应行法, viprayukta-saṃskāra). The eighth consciousness can take sunlight as object; the manas, relying on what the eighth consciousness takes as object, also takes sunlight as object—of course the image of the sunlight—and thus knows roughly what time it is, and so wants to emerge from concentration.
Here there is not the slightest involvement of the mind consciousness, because the mind consciousness does not exist; it is entirely the operation of the manas's mental factors of attention, contact, and deliberation. On what basis does the manas want to emerge from concentration? It takes as object the image of sunlight manifested by the eighth consciousness, knows when it should emerge to go on alms rounds, or knows at what height the sun is, what time period it belongs to, that at this time it should emerge—therefore it wants to emerge. When the eighth consciousness discerns this deliberation of the manas wanting to emerge, it gives birth to the six consciousnesses, and the arhat emerges from concentration.
From this we see there is absolutely no manifestation of the mind consciousness's mental factor of desire; the six consciousnesses' mental factors of desire do not exist, because the six consciousnesses have all ceased. Yet this arhat still wants to emerge from concentration at the proper time—this intention to emerge is the manas's desire. The manas attends to the sunlight, contacts the sunlight, deliberates on whether it is time to emerge, and then makes the decision and takes charge, wanting to summon the mind consciousness to emerge from concentration. Here the manas has no two mental factors of feeling and perception; relying solely on the operation of the manas's mental factors of attention, contact, and deliberation, it achieves the goal of emerging from concentration.
16. Non-Buddhists Emerging from the Attainment of No-Perception Shows the Manas Has the Mental Factor of Desire
For example, the attainment of no-perception (asaṃjñi-samāpatti) cultivated by non-Buddhists. What is the attainment of no-perception? In this concentration, the six consciousness-minds have all ceased—no awareness, no knowing, no perception—leaving only the eighth consciousness and the manas. Its difference from the cessation attainment is that in this concentration the manas's five universal mental factors—attention, contact, feeling, perception, deliberation—all exist, whereas in the cessation attainment the manas has no two mental factors of feeling and perception. The manas in the cessation attainment has already severed its grasping nature toward the five aggregates, whereas in the attainment of no-perception, the manas still grasps its own physical body, unwilling to extinguish it. When non-Buddhists enter the attainment of no-perception, because of grasping at the body, they will emerge from concentration after a certain time.
Why do they emerge? Because the manas has long been unable to discern the six sense objects through the six consciousnesses, and the manas after all has not extinguished ignorance; at some point, due to a moment of ignorance stirring, it wants to know the six objects, and will attend to the inner six objects manifested by the eighth consciousness, give rise to the mental factor of deliberation, and decide to know the six objects. After the eighth consciousness discerns this attention and decision of the manas, it gives birth to the six consciousnesses to discern, and thus the non-Buddhist emerges from concentration. Here too there is no mind consciousness's mental factor of desire; it is entirely the manas's perception and intention of wanting to emerge—this is the mental factor of desire. So when the manas has the mental activity of wanting to do something, has intention—its intention is the desire to know the states of the six objects—and thus emerges from concentration.
17. Waking from Sleep Shows the Manas Has the Mental Factor of Desire
We sleep every night, without dreams or thoughts, and when it is time to get up the next morning, we can get up on time. Before getting up there are no six consciousnesses—without the six consciousnesses, why can we still get up? Because the manas wants to wake, wants the five aggregates to be active—this is the mental factor of desire. Why does it want to get up? Because the manas grasps the physical body and five aggregates, chasing the five faculties and five objects; all activities of the five aggregates are controlled by the manas. When dawn approaches, the manas takes as object the eighth consciousness's perceiving-aspect and can contact the image of sunlight manifested by the eighth consciousness, knows it is almost dawn and time to get up. It wants the five aggregates to be active; the eighth consciousness of course cooperates by giving birth to the six consciousnesses, and thus one wakes up.
So here again there is the manas's intention and the mental activity of wanting to get up. When the manas has intention and desire, the mental factor of attention arises; it attends to the sunlight, receives and discerns the sunlight, gives rise to the mental factor of deliberation, makes the decision, and lets the mind consciousness arise. The eighth consciousness, based on the manas's attention, contact, and deliberation, knows the manas's thoughts, and thus manifests the six consciousnesses, and sentient beings wake. The dharma of waking arises entirely from the manas's thought of wanting to wake; it is the eighth consciousness discerning and cooperating with the manas's intention, attention, and mental factor of deliberation that accomplishes this matter.
18. Waking from a Coma Shows the Manas Has the Mental Factor of Desire
When sentient beings are in a coma, the six consciousnesses have all ceased, but the eighth consciousness is present, and the manas too. Because the six consciousnesses no longer manifest, the manas cannot discern any states of the six objects, and the body-faculty cannot operate; it wants the five aggregates to wake quickly and discern the six objects and carry out the five aggregates' activities—this is what the manas needs and grasps. It wants the five aggregates to become active and the six consciousnesses to discern ceaselessly; only following the six consciousnesses' discernment can it have some discernment; following the six consciousnesses' knowing can it know—therefore it also takes as object the six consciousnesses' perceiving-aspect. Because it takes the six consciousnesses' perceiving-aspect as object, it hopes the six consciousnesses always manifest, hopes the six consciousnesses always discern the six objects; the manas always has this intention—this too is desire, the desire to know the specific appearances of the six objects. Because it itself cannot discern the specific contents of the six objects, it needs the six consciousnesses to help it discern.
Since in the coma there are no six consciousnesses, it cannot know what the specific six objects are—this is what it is unwilling and reluctant to accept—so it deliberates on waking from the coma. Based on the eighth consciousness's discernment of the physical body's condition, it knows the body's state and deliberates on whether the conditions for waking are present. At a certain moment, when the body's condition has recovered somewhat, it decides to let the mind consciousness arise. After the eighth consciousness knows the manas's intention and decision, if the body's condition permits, it manifests the six consciousnesses.
Sometimes the body's condition truly does not permit it, and the eighth consciousness cannot produce the six consciousnesses—perhaps the five faculties are no longer usable, the body is severely damaged, or the coma is too deep, and the eighth consciousness cannot generate the six consciousnesses. When the manas knows this situation, it temporarily gives up. When the manas completely gives up, it will enter the neutrino-body (antarā-bhava) stage, seeking a usable body anew. When the eighth consciousness discerns that the body's condition is acceptable, and the manas also takes the body-faculty as object, knowing the body has somewhat improved, it wants the five aggregates to wake from the coma. The eighth consciousness complies with it, giving birth to one or all six of the consciousnesses, and the being gradually wakes from the coma.
19. The Act of Buying Jade Objects Shows the Manas Has the Mental Factor of Desire
The manas, based on the six consciousnesses' perceiving-aspect, takes as object the six consciousnesses' perceiving-aspect, taking what the six consciousnesses see as its own seeing, as "mine." When craving-love manifests, the mental activity of grasping (upādāna) arises; there is the intention of wanting to obtain, there is the mind that wants—this is the desire-mind. Whatever it is interested in, toward that it gives rise to attention. For example, the eye consciousness and the mind consciousness simultaneously see a jade object; the eye consciousness sees this jade object, the two consciousnesses give rise to the mental factor of desire, come to like this jade object, and want to possess it. The manas, based on the perceiving-aspects of these two consciousnesses, also discerns this jade object, also develops interest, gives rise to intention, and wants to possess this jade object.
It attends to the jade object, then receives the jade object, discerns the jade object, and finally decides to buy it. The eighth consciousness, based on its attention and the decision of its mental factor of deliberation, cooperates with the six consciousnesses in negotiating the price, and the jade object is bought. Based on the six consciousnesses' mental factor of desire, the manas can give rise to its own intention, craving, and wanting mind. Its mental factor of deliberation and five universal mental factors then operate. Whatever the manas is interested in, toward that target it continually gives rise to attention, continually contacts, continually receives, continually perceives, continually acts; the eighth consciousness, based on its decision, fulfills its wish.
The above is the mind consciousness perfuming the manas, making the manas also greedy. Sometimes it is because the manas has greed and perfumes the mind consciousness, making the six consciousness-minds give rise to craving-love; sometimes the two hit it off immediately—the manas and the six consciousnesses often perfume each other. When the manas's mental factor of greed arises, it attends to the target of greed; the six consciousnesses will be born and also give rise to attention, continually contacting, feeling, perceiving, deliberating—a whole series of mental activities must come forth. The connections here are extremely complex; contemplating all eight consciousnesses together, ordinary people's mental power is far from sufficient. Having the mind consciousness perfume the manas toward the good, not toward the bad—this is cultivation.
Similarly, the act of buying flowers also shows the manas has the mental factor of desire. For example, a person enters a flower shop and smells the delicate fragrance of jasmine, finds it very fragrant, and gives rise to craving-love. The information of the nose consciousness and mind consciousness smelling the fragrance is transmitted to the manas; the manas gives rise to attention toward this information, then contacts, feels, perceives, deliberates, discerns that the mind consciousness very much likes the flower fragrance and has also given rise to craving, wanting to possess this pot of flowers, and then decides to buy it. After the eighth consciousness discerns this mental factor of deliberation of the manas, it cooperates with the seventh consciousness in negotiating the price, and the pot of flowers is bought home. This shows the manas has the mental activity and intention of wanting to obtain something, has the mental factor of desire to buy flowers. This arises based on the six consciousnesses' seeing; it is the result of re-discerning and deliberating on the contents discerned by the six consciousnesses, not a mental activity of intention arising directly toward the states of the six objects.
Likewise, the act of liking music also shows the manas has the mental factor of desire. For example, when the ear hears music, the ear consciousness and mind consciousness simultaneously discern the beautiful music; after discerning, they come to like this music, mainly through the mind consciousness's greed, giving rise to the mental factor of desire, wanting to save it and listen more. The mind consciousness and ear consciousness transmit the information of liking this music to the manas; the manas gives rise to attention toward the transmitted information, then contacts this information, feels, discerns, and finally decides: this music is really beautiful, I want to record it for long-term listening. After the manas gives rise to this decision of the mental factor of deliberation, the eighth consciousness, knowing it, cooperates with the seven consciousnesses to do this, and the music is recorded. This shows the manas takes as object the six consciousnesses' perceiving-aspect, the mental activity of interest arises, it can give rise to its own desire, give rise to its own attention, initiate intention and interest, and finally make a choice.
20. The Manas's Mental Factor of Desire Can Be Discovered in Daily Life
For example, at noon at mealtime the stomach is hungry; the body consciousness and mind consciousness simultaneously discern this contact-object of hunger. After discerning, the information is transmitted to the manas; the manas gives rise to attention toward this information, then contacts it, feels and receives it, knows its content, and thus discerns that the stomach is empty and one is hungry; the mental factor of deliberation arises, deciding to eat and arranging the specifics of the meal, with the mind consciousness's analysis in between. Once the mental factor of deliberation arises, the eighth consciousness discerns it and cooperates to accomplish this; the six-consciousness body begins preparing to eat, and gradually the matter of eating is completed. This shows that the mind wanting to eat is the manas—this is the mental factor of desire; it is the decision He made; He has the thought and desire to eat.
Another example: coming to a food stall wanting to buy a food. Before buying, one wants to taste it; a small bit of the food is pinched off and put in the mouth to taste. At this time, the tongue consciousness and mind consciousness simultaneously taste this food; after tasting, finding the flavor good, liking the taste of this food, the mental factor of desire arises, wanting to eat this food. Then this information is transmitted to the manas; the manas gives rise to attention toward this information about the food's flavor, contacts this taste-object information, then receives and discerns it, knows the flavor is quite palatable, and has the intention and thought of wanting to buy—this is the mental factor of desire. Finally the mental factor of deliberation arises, deciding to buy it and take it home to enjoy.
Without the manas's desire, there would be no final decision, much less the subsequent actions of the six consciousnesses. At this time the manas, based on the contents discerned by the tongue consciousness and mind consciousness, discerns again, and the mental activity of grasping arises, wanting to possess, wanting to enjoy this food. Then the eighth consciousness discerns this mental factor of deliberation and attention, complies and cooperates with it, letting the six consciousnesses buy the food home. This shows that on the basis of the tongue consciousness's and mind consciousness's mental factor of desire, the manas has something it wants to do; the manas also has its own interests, intentions, the mental activity of wanting and desire, and the grasping mind is produced.
Another example: in the mind consciousness's scattered solitary state, the mind consciousness recalls an old friend from the past and past dealings with that old friend. The mind consciousness transmits this information to the manas; the manas, taking this information as object, gives rise to attention, then contacts this mental object, gives rise to feeling and perception, discerns its content, and then decides it wants to see this old friend—this is the desire of desiring-thought. Then through the mind consciousness's contemplation of when and in what manner to meet, how to make contact, and so on, the manas further discerns this information. Finally it decides how to arrange the matter—whether to call the next day or call in a little while. After this mental factor of deliberation arises, the eighth consciousness discerns it and lets the six consciousnesses find the phone book and call this person to arrange a meeting time and place. This example shows that the mind consciousness's mental factor of desire to see this person, after influencing the manas, results in the manas also having the intention and mental factor of desire to see this person, and finally the manas's attention and mental factor of deliberation arise.
These examples above show that the manas has its own mental activities, its own intentions, things it is interested in and wants to do; the mental factor of desire can trigger the operation of the five universal mental factors to fulfill its desires and wishes. Then the eighth consciousness cooperates to realize its wishes and achieve its aims. But there is a prerequisite: the eighth consciousness must also comply based on karmic seeds, based on merit and causal conditions; if these causal conditions are absent, the eighth consciousness is also powerless. These examples show that the manas's intentions and wishes are both strong and evident, mutually perfuming and mutually influencing with the mind consciousness's mental factor of desire.
