When Attaining Realization, the Wisdom of the Manas Arises First

What category 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, and are precisely drawn out by the manas's grasping; they are brought forth through the manas's decision. Therefore, the manas first contacts the dharmas, and the mind consciousness contacts them afterward. As for the determination (adhimokṣa) regarding dharmas, the mind consciousness first determines them, and then transmits this to the manas; after the manas deliberates, it also determines the dharmas that the mind consciousness has determined. And in order to realize the dharmas, it must be in meditative concentration (samādhi), where the manas personally deliberates and investigates, finally clearly realizing them and attaining wisdom. The mind consciousness participates at the same time; when the manas personally realizes them, the mind consciousness contemplates, organizes, and summarizes the entire process of realizing the dharmas, and also understands the ins and outs of the dharmas, attaining the wisdom of realization. Therefore, when realization occurs in meditative concentration, the manas's mental factor of wisdom (prajñā) arises first, and the mind consciousness's mental factor of wisdom arises afterward. For the true knowledge of some 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 be concentrated on a single thought, observing 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 be concentrated upon the dharma, its power of determination is weak, and it cannot give rise to wisdom, cannot arrive at a correct and reasonable conclusion and decision. The manas's mental factor of perception (saṃjñā) and mental factor of volition (cetanā) are also conditions for the birth of wisdom.

After the mind consciousness contacts the mental sense-objects (dharmāyatana), the five universal mental factors and the five particular mental factors begin to operate, and the wholesome and unwholesome mental factors may also operate. The mind consciousness's entire process of thinking is the process of the operation of various mental factors; the manas's entire process of deliberation is also the 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. Decisions made by the mind consciousness must be approved by the manas before it can be completely at ease and will not regret afterward; if the manas has not gone through sufficient deliberation and reluctantly agrees with the mind consciousness's conclusion, then the manas will inevitably harbor doubt in its mind, and afterward it may regret.

The manas has the five particular mental factors

If the six consciousnesses have mental activities of craving and aversion, this shows that the six consciousnesses have the mental factor of desire (chanda); if the manas has mental activities of craving and aversion, this shows that the manas has the mental factor of desire. The manas has the capacity to receive and experience the objects it contacts, and can discern the contents discerned by the other consciousnesses, and further coordinate with them; this shows that the manas has the mental factor of determination (adhimokṣa), and only then can wisdom be born; without determination, wisdom is insufficient and correct choices cannot be made. If the conscious mind can be mindful of the dharma, this shows there is the mental factor of mindfulness (smṛti); if the manas can be concentrated upon the dharma, with the arising of discerning wisdom, this shows there is the mental factor of concentration (samādhi); if the manas has the wisdom of discrimination, with corresponding comprehension and decision-making ability, this shows there is the mental factor of wisdom (prajñā).