The Precognition of the Manas

Question: Every time before I go on a business trip, I inexplicably feel a sense of loss in my mind, with slight tightness in my chest. And sure enough, once I arrive there, the conditions for eating, drinking, and sanitation are poor. So before a business trip, I first check my own mind; if there is an inexplicable sense of loss, it basically means the place I am going to has poor food and lodging. Can this clumsy method also be used to observe the manas?

Answer: As long as you understand the functions and characteristics of the manas, you can also come to know the manas to some extent—knowing its general habits and dispositions, its afflictions, and its purity. The manas is too particular about enjoyment and likes comfort, so it is unwilling to come into contact with environments where conditions are relatively poor and harsh. Therefore, before a change of environment, it always gives rise to attention (manaskāra) to let the mind consciousness know, with the purpose of having the mind consciousness think of a way to solve this problem. When the manas is unhappy, the body shows abnormalities; when the manas is happy, the body also shows abnormalities, because the body is controlled by the manas, which expresses the manas's thoughts and emotions.