The Self-View of the Manas

The manas is one of the six faculties and one of the eighteen dhātus; the five aggregates and the eighteen dhātus correspond one-to-one. When one says "I, I, I," the "I" of the manas pops its head out. What the six consciousnesses manifest are all the mental actions of the manas, my mind; what they embody is all the mental nature of the manas. A person who knows how to observe people's psychology can observe a person's essence, that is, the mental actions of the manas; a person who does not know how to observe people can only observe the superficial, contrived false appearances of the six consciousnesses, and is deluded by those false appearances. Seen in this light, if one cannot distinguish the manas from the mind consciousness, it is indeed difficult to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi).

When engaging in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the six faculties, one can contemplate the manas: He is the faculty that gives rise to the mind consciousness, and He is also the consciousness that acts as the master. As long as one contemplates this master-consciousness's constant variability, unfixedness, lack of self‑mastery (avaśatā), and perishability, one will know that the manas cannot exist forever; its mental actions constantly change and are also impermanent, and therefore it is not the self either.

To confirm that the functions and activities of the mind consciousness are not the self, first the mind consciousness introspects itself and the mind consciousness confirms it; then, through deep and subtle contemplative practice in meditative concentration (samādhi), the manas participates in contemplating the mind consciousness, and then engages in deliberation (manasikāra/manana) and investigation; finally, the manas also confirms that the functions and activities of the mind consciousness are not the self — not the self, yet not different from self.  There is also the manas-self that acts as the master at every moment and in every place; one must also confirm that it is false and without self, that it is also empty and impermanent. The manas, upon which the mind consciousness depends to arise, is also not the self; first the mind consciousness confirms it, and finally the manas itself confirms it. Before this, one must contemplate and confirm that the functions and activities of the five sense consciousnesses are subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, and without self. In this way, the view of self and the view of what belongs to self (ātma-mama-kāra) regarding these several consciousness-minds are eradicated; the view of what belongs to self is also not easy to eradicate.

The purpose of this contemplative confirmation of all these dharmas is mainly to let the manas confirm them; the mind consciousness's confirmation is the first step. Because it is the manas that takes all dharmas as the self and then directs the six consciousnesses to grasp (upādāna); after the grasping, the manas takes the grasping function of the six consciousnesses as its own function, thinking "I have done such and such." Then this "I" appears and manifests, plainly visible.

Since beginningless kalpas, the manas has always taken the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) as the self, taking the aggregate of form as the self, saying the body is the self (the view of the body as self), or saying "my body" (what belongs to self); then it will crave and cherish the material body, maintain the material body, and protect the material body, and for the sake of the material body it drives the six consciousnesses to create all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of feeling as the self, and sometimes as what belongs to self, believing that the aggregate of feeling is the self, that the self is the aggregate of feeling, that the aggregate of feeling belongs to the self, and that "I possess the functions and activities of the aggregate of feeling." Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of feeling, it directs the six consciousnesses to create all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of perception as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that the aggregate of perception is the self, that the self is the aggregate of perception, that "I possess the functions and activities of the aggregate of perception," and that the functions and activities of the aggregate of perception are mine. "I can perceive, and the dharmas perceived are mine." Thus it directs and manipulates the six consciousnesses to create all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of volitional formations as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that the aggregate of volitional formations is the self, that the self is the aggregate of volitional formations, that the aggregate of volitional formations belongs to the self, that "I possess the aggregate of volitional formations, I can act, and what I do is what I possess." Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of volitional formations, it directs and manipulates the six consciousnesses to create all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of consciousness as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that the aggregate of consciousness is the self, that the self is the aggregate of consciousness, that the aggregate of consciousness belongs to the self, and that "I possess the aggregate of consciousness. I can discern, and what is discerned is what I possess." Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of consciousness, it creates all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.