Mental Factors of the Manas (1)

In both discerning the myriad dharmas and studying and practicing the Buddhadharma, the mental factor of attention (manaskāra) arises in the seven consciousnesses, and in all cases the attention of the manas is primary; the attention of the manas triggers the attention of the six consciousnesses. The manas's attention has preconditions and certain causes and conditions; when the causes and conditions differ, its attention also differs. Toward what it is interested in, it directs attention and clings with craving; toward what it is uninterested in or averse to, it directs attention to immediately distance itself; toward what it considers unimportant, after attending to it, it no longer makes contact.

Desire (chanda) refers to aspiration, intention, yearning, and longing. For example, yearning for the land of bliss (sukhāvatī): if it is merely the mind consciousness that yearns while the manas does not yearn, it is useless—one cannot reach the land of bliss. Only when there is the manas's yearning and longing can one be reborn in the land of bliss; the manas's yearning is called deep faith and earnest vow.

If the manas has no ideas or aspirations, no endeavor can be accomplished. If the manas no longer longs for the worldly dharmas of the three realms, then at the end of life it enters Nirvāṇa without remainder—this is how it is with an arhat: the manas does not long for any worldly dharma, having severed desire and craving for all dharmas of the world. Only if the manas wants to realize the fruits and yearns for seeing the mind and seeing the nature will it resolve to diligently cultivate the Buddhadharma and fulfill the thirty-seven factors of the path. If the manas lacks this idea and aspiration, such a person simply cannot practice diligently; the mind consciousness's ideas have no decisive effect—only when they have permeated the manas do they work.

If the manas does not want to study Buddhism, the mind consciousness cannot contemplate the Buddhadharma; instead it will contemplate worldly dharmas and engage in worldly affairs. "Thinking" means longing, means desire. If the manas has no desire, it makes no resolution, cannot incline toward anything, will not take action, and the corresponding dharmas will not arise. When the mind consciousness wants to cultivate, wants to be diligent, if this has not permeated the manas, it is merely an idea—true diligence is impossible, and actual action is impossible; actual action is determined and carried out by the manas.