The Function of the Manas in Terms of Dharma Principles

The Buddhist doctrine of eliminating self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi) and the doctrine of the manas bring enormous benefit to Buddhism and to humanity. Psychologists and sociologists can derive great benefit from them. Once they understand the principle of the manas—that is, the subconscious—they will be able to introspect, observe their own psychological phenomena, and thereby understand themselves, treat themselves correctly, and even change themselves, even though they do not yet understand the Buddha-dharma. Those engaged in corporate sales can also benefit: by knowing themselves and knowing others, they can grasp the other party's psychology and guide it along its natural inclination, and thus their sales will succeed. Every trade and profession can benefit from psychology—that is, from the doctrine of the subconscious manas. What success studies calls "talking to oneself" is precisely the mind consciousness conditioning and guiding the manas, subduing the self.

The problem of psychological disorders is entirely a problem of the manas and the mind consciousness; schizophrenia is also a problem of the manas and the mind consciousness. When one talks to oneself and the two selves cannot carry on the conversation, a split occurs. The fundamental problem of schizophrenia is that the views and ideas of the manas and the mind consciousness are not unified and their values are not in accord: the mind consciousness cannot persuade the manas to conform to this society. At times the mind consciousness itself has not understood where the problem lies, and then it is even less able to effectively persuade and guide the manas. If one is truly at odds with this society, walks into a blind alley and a dead end from which one cannot emerge, and one's views and ideas become bound up and cannot be opened up, then the mind splits. If one can clarify the problems of the five aggregates (pañcaskandha) and of the manas and mind consciousness, and personally realize that all dharmas are empty, no one will suffer from mental or psychological illnesses.