The Meaning of the Manas Silently Containing All Dharmas

Mo (默, silent) means silently, soundlessly, in secret, quietly. This is the characteristic of the manas. The manas is just like this—silently, unknown to others, soundless, quiet, working in secret.

Rong (容, contain) means to permit, to coexist, to be together, to accommodate, to tolerate. This shows that the manas accommodates everything, permits all dharmas to exist, coexists with all dharmas, operates together with them, and tolerates and receives the manifestation of all dharmas.

This also means that wherever all dharmas exist, there is the manas; the manas is forever together with all dharmas, operating in common with them. But the mind consciousness does not silently contain all dharmas; it cannot exist and operate together with all dharmas. Therefore, the arising and operation of many dharmas have nothing to do with the mind consciousness, are not directed or controlled by it, and the mind consciousness has no authority to control the arising of all dharmas. Only the eighth consciousness and the manas are forever together with all dharmas, operating in common with them; and since the eighth consciousness has no mental activity or characteristic of directing and manipulating, and no capacity to be the master, this proves that only the manas has the authority to manipulate and to be the master over all dharmas. Its sense of self and self-nature are very strong, and therefore its karma of birth and death is also heavy.