How to Observe and Subdue the Imputed Nature of the Manas

The imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the manas is its universal deliberation and grasping at all dharmas, ceaselessly clinging to all dharmas, relying on the eighth consciousness to cognize all the dharmas manifested by the eighth consciousness. Moment after moment it remains in a state of knowing, unwilling to let go of dharmas; toward every dharma it contacts, it adheres without pause. Past dharmas, present dharmas, and future dharmas all stick persistently in the mind, with thoughts continuing unbroken—not a single dharma goes unremembered, not a single dharma goes unadhered to, not a single dharma goes unclung to. This is the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the manas. Because the manas has this characteristic, the mind becomes tangled like hemp and scattered like a monkey, with thought after thought never ceasing. There is no meditative concentration (samādhi), no ability to focus, and an enormous amount of time and energy is consumed on meaningless dharmas, so wisdom cannot advance. 

If you have a way to observe these thoughts of the manas, you will realize what dharmas the manas is clinging to and grasping at, and then you will have a way to counteract and subdue the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the manas, thereby being able to focus the mind and enhance the power of meditative concentration and the power of wisdom (prajñā-bala). How does one observe the imputed grasping and thoughts of the manas? First, observe the states and mental thoughts that appear in dreams: observe whether these states and thoughts are orderly or chaotic and disorganized, whether they have a focal point, what the focal point is, what problem they indicate, and what they intend to do. In this way, you will understand what the manas grasps at and attends to, as well as the problems existing in the mind. 

Second, at the moment of just waking up, observe what your thoughts are and what your emotions are like. These thoughts belong to the manas, not the mind consciousness, because they have just arisen and the mind consciousness has not yet had time to generate thoughts and emotions. Third, in meditation, observe the thoughts that come and go. In meditation, the mind consciousness has already settled down and has no thoughts, yet within the mind there are still some mental thoughts that do not settle, now bright now dim, now light now heavy, continually appearing—arising and ceasing, ceasing and arising. These mental thoughts all belong to the manas. 

In all circumstances, these thoughts are scattered and unfocused, without settled concentration, and most of them are unimportant and meaningless. From this, one can understand and observe the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the manas. Because of this imputed nature, over beginningless kalpas, how much energy have we consumed and wasted without obtaining the wholesome results we should have obtained? Such clinging everywhere truly costs more than it gains.

How can one curb and reduce the imputed nature (parikalpita-svabhāva) of the manas? One must avoid contact with meaningless and useless people, affairs, things, and principles, minimize contact with various states, and as much as possible block out the rotten people and rotten affairs of the world and the entangling, tangled-up people and matters. If you can know one less dharma, then know one less dharma; if you can not know, then do not know. Those people and affairs have no meaning at all; they merely waste time and energy and leave impure thoughts in the mind. The mind should continually adhere to one meaningful dharma, focusing on that dharma without wavering, without interruption, and without admixture. Taking this dharma as the main thread, over time, as the practice deepens, the scattered thoughts in the mind will diminish, the scattered mind can be subdued, and when the mind is concentrated and energy is focused and vigorous, wisdom will grow.