What Does the Manas Deliberate On?

The manas constantly deliberates (manasikāra) upon all the object-aspects (nimitta) manifested by the eighth consciousness, but its deliberation has degrees of urgency and importance, has emphasis and priorities—it does not deliberate upon all dharmas simultaneously. Because the manas can cognize all the dharmas manifested by the eighth consciousness, only after cognizing them can it exercise its deliberative nature, or deliberate selectively. The object-aspects manifested by the eighth consciousness can be extremely extensive, and the manas's range of deliberation is correspondingly vast, making it very difficult to settle on one place or a few limited places, which makes it hard for the manas to concentrate and hard for it to develop meditative concentration (samādhi). Only through special training—where the manas gives attention (manaskāra) and deliberation to only a few dharmas, or where the manas has eliminated its grasping and clinging nature toward some dharmas and no longer clings excessively—can meditative concentration arise and wisdom be strengthened.

For example, a person who has cultivated the four dhyānas, the eight meditative absorptions, and preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) must have meditative concentration in his manas; a person who possesses various meditative concentrations (samādhi) must also have meditative concentration in his manas. Even those who cultivate non-Buddhist paths, such as practitioners of qigong and various other practices, as well as researchers and scientists in various fields—all have meditative concentration in their manas. Of course, the best and deepest concentration is that of the Buddha's manas: the profound and unsurpassed meditative concentration possessed after the manas has completely transformed consciousness into wisdom (āśraya-parāvṛtti). The manas of bodhisattvas at the first bhūmi and above begins to transform consciousness into wisdom, possessing one portion or more of the wisdom of the selflessness of dharmas; they have already eradicated the grasping at a self of persons, and have also eradicated one portion or more of the grasping at a self of dharmas. Their clinging nature is greatly reduced, so the concentration of their manas is certainly not shallow. Up to the eighth bhūmi bodhisattvas and the Buddha ground, the various meditative concentrations are inexhaustible and unfathomably varied, and the concentration of the manas becomes deep and vast beyond measure. Because the manas has excellent power of meditative concentration, its deliberation upon dharmas is concentrated and focused, and its wisdom is deep and vast.