The Mental Factor of Desire (chanda) of the Manas Differs from That of the Mind Consciousness

The intrinsic nature of the manas and the mind consciousness is very difficult for ordinary people to distinguish, and it is even harder to distinguish the mental factors (caittas) of these two minds. Because the intrinsic nature of the manas is deep and subtle and hard to know, and its mental factors are even more subtle, unless one has cultivated to the level of wisdom that transforms consciousness into wisdom, it is very difficult to directly observe the operation of the manas. Therefore, one will not be able to observe its mental factors, and one will harbor many misunderstandings about the intrinsic nature and mental factors of the manas and the mind consciousness, with much confusion between them.

For example, some people say that the manas has no volition, and that the manas has no mental activity of wanting to obtain anything; wanting and volition are both the desire mental factor (chanda-caitta) of the mind consciousness, and the manas has no desire mental factor; therefore the manas has no volition and no mental activity of wanting to achieve a goal. But if the manas had no volition of its own and no mental activity of wanting to achieve some purpose, then on what basis would the manas make its decisions? On what basis would it exercise dominion? How are the myriad dharmas brought about by the manas? Would the manas still be the engine that manifests the myriad dharmas? If the manas had no volition or purpose, upon what would the six consciousnesses rely to act and to create karma?

As for the "desire" of this desire mental factor, in the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra it says: 于可乐事。随彼彼行。欲有所作性。This is the characteristic of the desire mental factor, meaning that when the conscious mind encounters desirable states, states that it likes, it will follow its own desire and want to accomplish something, hoping to possess such states so as to achieve its own aims and satisfy its own desires. With regard to the states of the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses have longing, wishes, greed, and desire; but the manas also has desires and wishes—desires and wishes that come from deep within. What can stir the six consciousnesses to give rise to the desire mental factor is precisely the desire of the manas. Because the manas has desires and wishes, it will impel the mind consciousness to have the same wishes, and will impel the six consciousnesses to realize those wishes. The wishes of the master consciousness are often easily realized, whereas the wishes of the mind consciousness must be approved by the manas, with the manas taking charge to bring them about.

After attaining the bhūmis, the manas eliminates a portion of its afflictions and subdues some others, transforming them into one or several portions of the wisdom of equality (samatā-jñāna). Although the manas no longer has mental activities such as greed and craving for the six sense objects, it still has pure volitions, wishes, and power of vow. Whether the manas has afflicted mental factors or is free of afflicted mental factors, the manas indeed has wishes and volitions that it seeks to fulfill.