The Manas Is the Master Consciousness

Some people act one way on the surface and another way behind the scenes, or say one thing but do another. What they openly present to give others a false impression is the thinking of the mind consciousness, while what they actually do behind the scenes accords with the thinking of the manas; what they say is the thinking of the mind consciousness, while what they do accords with the thinking of the manas. Therefore, in our daily dealings with people, we should be skilled at observing them: do not judge by how well they speak on the surface, but observe the true thoughts of their inner manas. Some people talk in the most dazzling and flowery terms, yet their actual thoughts are quite the opposite—such a person is extremely hypocritical and dishonest.

If someone wants to give you something, you should observe whether he truly wants to give it, or whether the giving is false, harboring other ideas and purposes. If the manas is unwilling to give, but the mind consciousness has no choice but to give in its behavior, the consequences may not be good—he will find a way to take it back. Likewise, if we want something from someone else, we should observe whether he is truly willing to accept, whether the manas agrees, or whether only the mind consciousness is willing to accept while the manas is not. Do not merely believe what is displayed by his surface consciousness; observe his inner manas. The manas is the consciousness that makes decisions; it represents a person's character and moral quality, and also represents a person's true cultivation.