Why Does the Manas Not Correspond with Written Language, Speech, and Sound?

Language, written words, and sounds correspond to the mind consciousness; they are functions of the mind consciousness, accomplished jointly with the five sensory consciousnesses. Therefore this mind consciousness is consciousness accompanied by the five senses (pañca-sahagata-mano-vijñāna); it cannot be separated from the five sensory consciousnesses, and thus cannot be separated from the body faculty. The appearance of language and sound begins with the manas generating an intention, wanting to express its own views and thoughts. When the manas stirs a thought, brain waves fluctuate, and the intent is transmitted through the central nervous system to the corresponding system or area of the body faculty; then wind or an airflow arises at the dantian, this airflow surges upward, travels all the way to the tongue faculty, sound flows out, and language and speech are formed. Therefore speaking requires physical energy; when energy is insufficient, the voice is weak, or no sound can be produced. Language and sound are produced through the joint, harmonious operation of the mind consciousness and the body consciousness, requiring the cooperation of the body faculty; at this time the tongue belongs to part of the body faculty and does not perform the function of contacting taste objects. As for written words, writing and typing are produced through the harmonious operation of the mind consciousness and the body consciousness, requiring the cooperation of the body faculty. The solitary consciousness (mano-vijñāna-eka-citta) can have sounds in the mind, and images of written words can also appear in the mind; when the solitary consciousness introspects, it can know its own inner voice and mental images of words. 

The above belongs to the verbal and mental actions of the six consciousnesses; there are also bodily actions. Bodily actions can only be accomplished through the joint, harmonious operation of the mind consciousness and the five sensory consciousnesses, requiring the cooperation of the five faculties; apart from the five faculties, bodily actions cannot be carried out. The creation of bodily, verbal, and mental actions by the six consciousnesses is brought about by the manas; it is the function of the manas's volition. The manas is like a commander, and the six consciousnesses are the executors of the commands. When the commander stirs an intention, the brain waves move, the command is issued, and the entire nervous system of the body begins to operate. The volition of the manas is like a signal or a code; the mind consciousness can understand part or most of it, but without wisdom it cannot understand all of it. When the six consciousnesses execute the command and carry out the specific operations, only then do language, written words, and sounds appear; this is the function of the operating system. The command system operates only in the form of codes and signals, without needing the cooperation of the five faculties, and thus the mental actions of the manas are completed. Without the cooperation of the five faculties, of course, written words, language, and sounds cannot appear. 

When the solitary consciousness leaves the physical body, without the cooperation of the five faculties, likewise there are no written words, language, or sounds; it cannot speak or write. Mental thoughts are also something like codes, but the mind consciousness understands them completely. Once understood, with the cooperation of the five faculties, they can be expressed as written words, language, and sounds. If the mind consciousness understands the mental thoughts of the manas, it can likewise express them through written words, language, and sounds. Therefore written words, language, and sounds are tools for expressing mental thoughts; the manas cannot express itself in this way and can only express itself through the mind consciousness and the five sensory consciousnesses.

As for the codes of the eighth consciousness, they can only be understood after the sixth and seventh consciousnesses have transformed consciousness into wisdom and attained a considerable degree of the wisdom of the varieties of paths; before that, the sixth and seventh consciousnesses cannot decipher them, yet they can still enjoy the benefits and privileges bestowed by the eighth consciousness. They enjoy them without knowing it, thinking that these benefits and privileges were earned through their own efforts and are what they naturally deserve. Codes require wisdom to decipher; without wisdom, one will only make a mess of things. Codes and passwords are all metaphors used to illustrate the form of mental thoughts; there are actually no such codes or passwords. 

In the middle of the night while asleep, the six consciousnesses have ceased, and a fire breaks out in the room; the manas wants to run—what then? This thought of the manas, without the cooperation of the body faculty and without the cooperation of the six consciousnesses, can in no way be realized by Him. Therefore it is not that the manas's wisdom is very lowly and He can do nothing; rather, whatever He wants to do, He must have tools to use. If there are no tools, there is no way, and He can only be like a person of feeble capacity.