When Attaining Realization, the Wisdom of the Manas Arises First

What kind of dharma does the content of the mind consciousness's thinking belong to? From where is it born? The dharmas that the mind consciousness contemplates come from the tathāgatagarbha; they are precisely drawn out by the manas through its grasping, and are brought forth by the manas's decision. Therefore, the manas first contacts the dharma, and the mind consciousness contacts it afterward. Regarding the determination (adhimokṣa) of a dharma, the mind consciousness first determines it, and then transmits it to the manas; after the manas deliberates, it also determines the dharma that the mind consciousness has determined. And in order to realize a dharma, it must be done in meditative concentration (samādhi), where the manas personally deliberates and investigates, and finally clearly realizes it and gains wisdom. The mind consciousness participates at the same time: at the moment the manas personally realizes it, the mind consciousness thinks about, organizes, and summarizes the entire process of realizing the dharma, and also understands the dharma's origins and implications, thereby gaining the wisdom of realization. Therefore, when realization occurs in meditative concentration, the manas's mental factor of wisdom arises first, and the mind consciousness's mental factor of wisdom arises afterward. For true knowledge of certain dharmas, the manas's mental factor of wisdom always appears first, and the mind consciousness's mental factor of wisdom appears afterward.

If a person has meditative concentration, the mind consciousness can settle on a single thought and observe a single dust-mote; in this way, the power of wisdom (prajñā-bala) of both the mind consciousness and the manas can be very strong. If the manas is scattered and cannot settle upon the dharma, its power of determination is weak, and it cannot give rise to wisdom, nor reach a correct and reasonable conclusion and decision. The manas's mental factors of perception (saṃjñā) and volition (cetanā) are also conditions for the birth of wisdom.

After the mind consciousness contacts the mental sense-objects, the five universal mental factors and the five particular mental factors begin to operate, and the wholesome and unwholesome mental factors may also begin to operate. The mind consciousness's entire process of thinking is a process of the operation of various mental factors; the manas's entire process of deliberation is likewise a process of the operation of all the mental factors. The content that the mind consciousness contemplates must undergo the manas's personal re-deliberation before a final conclusion can be reached. All conclusions must and inevitably are the manas's decision; a decision made by the mind consciousness must be approved by the manas before it is completely settled and will not be regretted. If the manas, without having thought sufficiently, has no choice but to agree with the mind consciousness's conclusion, then the manas will inevitably harbor doubt in its mind, and may later regret it.

That the six consciousnesses have mental activities of craving and aversion shows that the six consciousnesses possess the mental factor of desire (chanda); that the manas has mental activities of craving and aversion shows that the manas possesses the mental factor of desire. That the manas has the capacity to receive and apprehend the objects it contacts, and can discern the contents discerned by other consciousnesses and further coordinate with them, shows that the manas possesses the mental factor of determination (adhimokṣa), and only then can wisdom arise; without determination, wisdom is insufficient and correct choices cannot be made. That the mind consciousness can be mindful of the dharma shows the existence of the mental factor of mindfulness (smṛti). That the manas can settle upon the dharma, with the arising of discerning wisdom, shows the existence of the mental factor of meditative concentration (samādhi). That the manas has the wisdom of discrimination, with corresponding powers of understanding and decision-making, shows the existence of the mental factor of wisdom (prajñā).