The Wisdom of Mind Consciousness and Manas: As One Wanes, the Other Waxes

During the student phase of learning, since it is a stage of absorbing knowledge and theory, the mind consciousness is used the most. After learning is complete, one enters the stage of practice, where theory is applied to actual operation and everything depends on the individual's genuine talent and real ability. At this stage, the manas is used the most. If the manas is not used well, one will be mocked as a bookworm and pedant—possessing only learning but no capability, no real substance, with nothing gained from one's studies that can be put to use.

When students work on geometry problems, they are clearly using the mind consciousness to calculate and deduce, because there is a result and an answer; one only needs to reason toward the answer. A few students with good meditative concentration can employ a little of the manas's deliberation (manana), but not much. When a problem has no answer, the manas's deliberation may be used somewhat more, and arriving at the correct conclusion may reveal a certain genuine wisdom in the student—but it cannot be ruled out that the component of mind-consciousness reasoning is used more. In the process of calculating and reasoning through geometry problems, there are certain principles and rules to follow; the more one relies on them, the greater the mind consciousness's role and the smaller the manas's role, and the shallower the wisdom.

By the same token, in the process of contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) and investigation, the more hints given by others, the more the mind consciousness is used, the less the manas is used, and the shallower the wisdom. If one relies entirely on hints from others—something spoken into the ear—it is all the function of the mind consciousness; if the manas exerts no effort at all, then the manas has no wisdom whatsoever, and one will not obtain the beneficial merit of liberation in this or future lives. Whereas when there are no hints at all and one investigates and realizes everything entirely on one's own, what is brought forth is the best, and the wisdom is the deepest. Conversely, the greater the help given by others, the smaller one's own capacity; if one solves the problem without any help, all the wisdom is one's own. A pratyekabuddha investigates the twelve links of dependent arising alone in the mountains; the wisdom realized before and after attaining the Dharma is something an arhat cannot compare with, let alone an ordinary being. Arhats have the Buddha and the Buddha's Dharma to rely on, so the wisdom they develop is limited, not as deep and subtle as the wisdom of a pratyekabuddha.

The more one relies on external conditions, the less the manas is used, and the poorer one's capacity and wisdom. Some people, in learning the Dharma, always pray for all kinds of help, not knowing that the greater the help received, the less wisdom is developed and the smaller the benefit. Being able to apply effort oneself and use one's own brain when encountering problems yields the greatest wisdom. Those who always love to ask about the Dharma have relatively shallow wisdom, insufficient self-reliance, and no ability to solve problems independently. Some people always want to seek others' help to awaken to the Path—but for awakening achieved with help, whose awakening does it ultimately belong to? Whose wisdom is it? Whether wisdom in the Buddha's Dharma or wisdom in worldly affairs, whoever relies on their own power obtains it; relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself.