The Precondition for the Mental Engagement of the Manas

The seventh consciousness gives rise to the mental factor of attention (manaskāra) both in discerning the myriad dharmas and in studying and practicing the Buddhadharma, and in all cases the attention of the manas is primary; the attention of the manas triggers the attention of the six consciousnesses. The attention of the manas has its preconditions—it requires certain causes and conditions, and when these causal conditions differ, its attention differs as well. Toward what it finds interesting, it directs attention with craving and attachment; toward what it finds uninteresting or repugnant, it directs attention to immediately distance itself; toward what it deems unimportant, after attending to it, it no longer makes contact.