Dharmas That Mind Consciousness Cannot Observe Are Not Necessarily Nonexistent.

There are some differences between the deliberation (manasikāra) of the manas and the analysis of the mind consciousness. The mind consciousness analyzes in a relatively subtle manner, with clear lines of thought, whereas the manas cannot be meticulous and precise; it can only grasp a rough outline, consider things in general terms, and know the coarse situation. If there are dharmas that the manas cannot contact, then the six consciousnesses are even less able to contact and discern them. The manas can see all dharmas; all dharmas are the object-aspect (nimitta) of the manas. The mind consciousness can see the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) and the eighteen realms (aṣṭādaśa-dhātu), and the manas can see them even better; therefore the five aggregates and eighteen realms are the object-aspect of the manas.

If the manas has various kinds of feeling, can the mind consciousness observe them? For example, take a mute person eating goldthread (huanglian), who feels the bitterness but does not speak—can others know that he feels it is bitter? The bitterness is felt by his own mind; others can only guess. If others do not even know that the mute person ate goldthread, they do not even have the chance to guess. If the person eating the goldthread has a dulled sense of taste, he will not feel the bitterness, and others who guess that he feels it is bitter will certainly guess wrong. When the mind consciousness lacks wisdom, its guesses about the mental activities of the manas and the feelings of the manas will also often be wrong.

All the actions of the manas must be expressed through the mind consciousness; only then can the mind consciousness or others come to know them. If the manas cannot express something through the mind consciousness, can we then conclude that the manas has no such mental states or mental activities? If a dharma is unknown to the mind consciousness and cannot be observed by it, does that mean the dharma does not exist? Clearly not. Ordinary beings cannot observe the tathāgatagarbha, yet they say the tathāgatagarbha does not exist and is not real—this is not speech in accordance with reality. Likewise, when the mind consciousness cannot observe the mental states of the manas and yet passes judgment on the manas, that is equally inappropriate. Pre-bhūmi bodhisattvas (pūrvabhūmika bodhisattva), if not taught by bodhisattvas who have realization, cannot directly perceive the mental states of the manas; therefore it is inappropriate for them to pass judgment on the manas—especially for those who have not yet attained enlightenment. Only after afflictive obstructions have been severed, and after the mind consciousness and the manas have undergone the transformation of consciousness into wisdom, can the mind consciousness, with wisdom, gradually and directly perceive the operations and mental states of the manas—but even then it may not be able to observe very much or very accurately.