The thinking of the manas is without language or words

Question: When training the manas to contemplate the Buddha-Dharma, is it better to depart from language and words?

Answer: The manas itself operates apart from language and words; it does not correspond to language and words. What corresponds to language and words is the mind consciousness, which is relatively superficial. Anyone who can contemplate apart from language and words must have very good meditative concentration (samādhi), having already gone deep into the manas. This is not easy to achieve, but it makes realizing the Dharma easy. For those with shallow concentration, once they depart from language and words, they can no longer function, so their wisdom is also insufficient.

By observing a person's gaze and facial expression, one can tell whether that person has concentration, and how deep it is. Because when in concentration, the gaze and facial expression differ from the ordinary state—they become more focused and profound. This is the expression of deep contemplation: muscles tensed, gaze concentrated, with language and words moving little, or not at all. When the mind consciousness contemplates superficially, the gaze is lively; when contemplating deeply, the gaze is fixed and profound, and the expression is solemn. What is called "fixed" is precisely concentration—this is the manas at work.

The manas is the commanding officer that controls and directs the body faculty. Although most people do not understand this principle, this is how it actually is. Some say it is the eighth consciousness that controls the body faculty, but the eighth consciousness obeys the manas and follows its commands; He Himself has no intention of controlling the moment-to-moment changes of the body, such as facial expressions. If one can master this knack of contemplating the Buddha-Dharma, it will remain useful all the way until one attains the bhūmis of a bodhisattva. It is extremely practical and extremely swift, and one's wisdom will surely go deep.