The Function of Manas and Prajñā Cetasika

Is the cessation of self-view the mental faculty negating the reality of the five aggregates? Is the enlightenment of understanding the mind the mental faculty affirming the reality of the Tathagatagarbha? In both attainments, it is ultimately the mental faculty that functions. So, during the cessation of self-view and the enlightenment of understanding the mind, is it the wisdom of the mental faculty or its deliberative nature that is functioning?

In the process of ceasing self-view and realizing the true nature of mind, both the deliberative nature of the mental faculty and the mental factor of wisdom are functioning. This is because the mental faculty possesses the nature of discernment, recognition, cognition, decision-making, volitional control, attachment, and clinging. Therefore, the mental factor of wisdom must function; without wisdom, these functional capacities would not exist. However, the functional nature of this wisdom is somewhat unique—it is broad, generalized, and unable to focus deeply or exclusively. Its discernment is not particularly specific or refined. Thus, for phenomena within the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses are needed to assist in discernment, after which the mental faculty performs its distinct discernment, judgment, and decision-making. This also involves the functioning of the mental factor of wisdom. Without the discerning wisdom of this mental factor, the mental faculty would lack its conscious nature and possess only its faculty nature, yet the mental faculty inherently possesses both.

The deliberative nature of the mental faculty universally accompanies its operation. As long as the mental faculty exists, its deliberative nature is also present and functioning moment by moment. It is because the mental faculty deliberates moment by moment, decides moment by moment, and exercises volitional control moment by moment that all phenomena can arise and persist without cessation. Otherwise, all phenomena would experience discontinuity and extinction. Whenever the mental faculty has an object of focus, whenever there is attention and contact with any phenomenon, the deliberative nature of the mental faculty must manifest in relation to that phenomenon for it to function and exist. The continuous operation of the mental faculty's deliberative nature enables the functioning of its mental factor of wisdom. The mental faculty pervades all phenomena, and its five universal mental factors must also pervade the functioning of all phenomena. This is the prerequisite for the arising of the mental faculty's wisdom. The same applies to the five universal mental factors of the other consciousnesses.

Therefore, during the process of ceasing self-view and realizing the true nature of mind, the deliberative nature of the mental faculty is constantly operating. The process of deliberation also reflects the wisdom nature of the mental faculty. Depending on the degree of wisdom, the process, content, and outcome of deliberation differ, leading to different conclusions, different decisions, and consequently, different actions and karmic results produced by the six consciousnesses, as well as different experiences of merit and benefit. It is because the mental faculty, while deliberating upon the five aggregates, possesses the Hinayana wisdom of emptiness that it can recognize the five aggregates as empty and devoid of self, thereby ceasing self-view. Similarly, it is because the mental faculty, while deliberating upon the eighth consciousness, possesses the Mahayana dharmic wisdom that it can recognize the reality of the eighth consciousness, giving rise to the wisdom of ultimate reality. The deliberative nature and the discerning wisdom of the mental faculty assist and coordinate with each other in their functioning. Without one, the normal operation of all phenomena would be impossible.