The Power of the Manas

As practice deepens progressively and meditative concentration and wisdom become increasingly complete, the manas will gradually grow strong. The hallmark of a strong manas is the transformation of consciousness into wisdom—the transformation of the mental factors (caittas). The strength of the manas represents the strength of the mental factors; when the mental factors are strong, the manas becomes powerful and invincible, fully endowed with the five universal mental factors, the five object-specific mental factors, and the eleven wholesome mental factors, while the afflictive mental factors have long been completely eliminated. Perhaps there still remain some extremely subtle afflictive habits, as well as some slight grasping of dharmas. When the manas becomes strong to a certain degree, it will replace the six consciousnesses; without needing the assisting conditions of the six consciousnesses, it can on its own discern the objects of the six sense-fields—whether coarse or subtle, neither poses any problem. At this point, the great supernatural powers will manifest.