The Functions of Cetanā and Prajñā Cetasikas in Manas

Is the severance of self-view the manas negating the reality of the five aggregates? Is the enlightenment of the mind the manas affirming the reality of the Tathāgatagarbha? Both types of realization ultimately involve the functioning of the manas. Then, during the severance of self-view and the enlightenment of the mind, is it the wisdom of the manas or its deliberative nature that is functioning?

In the process of severing self-view and realizing the mind's nature, both the deliberative nature of the manas and the mental factor of wisdom are functioning. Because the manas possesses the nature of discernment, recognition, cognition, decision-making, volition, attachment, and clinging, the mental factor of wisdom is thereby engaged. Without wisdom, these functional roles would not exist. However, the functionality of this wisdom is rather unique—it is broad and general, unable to be focused or profound; its discernment cannot be overly specific or detailed. Therefore, regarding phenomena within the six sense objects, the six consciousnesses are required to cooperate in discernment, after which the manas performs its unique discernment, judgment, and decision-making. This also involves the functioning of the mental factor of wisdom. Without the discerning wisdom of this mental factor, the manas would lack cognitive nature and possess only root nature, whereas the manas inherently possesses both.

The deliberative nature of the manas universally accompanies its operation. As long as the manas exists, its deliberative nature is also present and functioning moment by moment. Because the manas deliberates moment by moment, decides moment by moment, and exercises volition moment by moment, all phenomena can manifest continuously without cessation; otherwise, phenomena would have moments of discontinuity and cessation. As long as the manas has an object, as long as it attends to and contacts all phenomena, its deliberative nature must manifest in all phenomena for them to operate and exist. The continuous operation of the manas’ deliberative nature enables the functioning of its mental factor of wisdom. The manas universally pervades all phenomena, and thus its five omnipresent mental factors must universally exist in the operation of all phenomena, serving as the prerequisite for the arising of the manas’ wisdom. The same applies to the five omnipresent mental factors of the other consciousnesses.

Therefore, during the process of severing self-view and realizing the mind’s nature, the deliberative nature of the manas is continuously operating. The process of deliberation also reflects the wisdom nature of the manas. Depending on the degree of wisdom, the process, content, and outcome of deliberation differ, leading to different conclusions, different decisions, and consequently different actions and karmic results of the six consciousnesses. Because when the manas deliberates on the five aggregates, it possesses the wisdom of emptiness according to the Hinayana, it can recognize that the five aggregates are empty and devoid of self, thereby severing self-view. And because when the manas deliberates on the eighth consciousness, it possesses the wisdom of the Mahayana, it can recognize the reality of the eighth consciousness, giving rise to the wisdom of ultimate reality. The deliberative nature and discerning wisdom of the manas assist and coordinate with each other in operation; without either, the normal functioning of all phenomena would be impossible.