About Speaking Off the Cuff (Part 2)

Because of what blurted out spontaneously, one can observe the functioning and operations of the manas—the mental activities of the manas. What mental factors (caittas) does the manas have, and what psychological activities cause something to be blurted out?

If someone, after a question is raised, answers immediately without thinking, it shows that they understand the question very well and are very familiar with it—they have encountered it often before, and there is no need to consider, ponder, or deliberate on the spot. This "self" is the manas. A person with quick reactions has a manas that possesses experience and wisdom regarding such matters, without needing the help of the mind consciousness to analyze. Conversely, if the manas is unfamiliar with something, or has never experienced it, then when encountering such a matter, the mind consciousness is needed to help deliberate and analyze; the manas then makes its own decision based on this. This process is slower—one cannot answer and resolve it immediately, because there is a process of deliberation by the mind consciousness in between. Having to reach a conclusion afterward shows that the manas lacks wisdom, having previously not known or understood it.

Therefore, the patriarchs of the Chan school said: "What is obtained through thinking and gained through deliberation is the work of ghosts." True wisdom is the wisdom of the manas—it does not need to be learned on the spot, nor bought and sold on the spot. False wisdom is obtained through the mind consciousness's on-the-spot pondering and analysis, acquired by relying on the mind consciousness to gather information—such wisdom can hardly be called wisdom at all.