The View of Self of the Manas

The manas is one of the six faculties and one of the eighteen dhātus; the five aggregates and the eighteen dhātus correspond one-to-one. When one thinks "me, me, me," the "I" of the manas pops its head out. Whatever the six consciousnesses manifest are the mental actions of the manas, my mind, and they all embody the mental nature of the manas. A person who knows how to observe people's psychology can observe a person's essential nature—the mental actions of the manas—whereas one who does not know how to observe people can only observe the false appearances contrived outwardly by the six consciousnesses, and is thus deceived by those false appearances. Seen in this light, if one cannot distinguish the manas from the mind consciousness, it is indeed difficult to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi).

When engaging in contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) on the six faculties, one can contemplate the manas: He is the faculty that gives rise to the mind consciousness, and He is also the consciousness that acts as the master. As long as one contemplates this master-consciousness's constant variability, its unfixedness, its lack of self-mastery (avaśatā), and its perishability, one will know that the manas cannot exist forever; His mental actions constantly change and are therefore impermanent, and thus He is also not the self.

Confirming that the functions and activities of the mind consciousness are not the self: first the mind consciousness confirms it, then, through deep and subtle contemplative practice in meditative concentration (samādhi), the manas deliberates and investigates the mind consciousness's contemplation, and finally the manas also confirms that the functions and activities of the mind consciousness are not the self, not "me."

There is also the manas-self that acts as the master at all times and in all places; one must also confirm that it is false and without self, that it is empty and impermanent. The manas, upon which the mind consciousness depends to arise, is also not the self; first the mind consciousness confirms this, and finally the manas confirms it. Before this, one must contemplate and confirm that the functions and activities of the five sense consciousnesses are subject to arising and ceasing, impermanent, and without self. In this way, the view of self and the view of what belongs to self (ātmīya-dṛṣṭi) regarding these several consciousness-minds are eradicated. The view of what belongs to self is also not easy to eradicate.

The purpose of contemplating and confirming all these dharmas is primarily to have the manas confirm them, and only secondarily to have the mind consciousness confirm them. Because it is the manas that takes all dharmas as the self and then directs the six consciousnesses to grasp (upādāna); after the grasping, the manas takes the six consciousnesses' function of grasping as His own function, thinking "I have done such and such." Then this "I" appears and manifests, plainly and conspicuously.

Since beginningless kalpas, the manas has constantly taken the five aggregates (pañca-skandha) as the self. Taking the aggregate of form as the self, He says the body is "I" (the view of the body as self), or "my body" (what belongs to self); then He craves and cherishes the physical body, maintains it, and protects it, and for the sake of the body He drives the six consciousnesses to perform all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of feeling as the self, and sometimes as what belongs to self, believing that the aggregate of feeling is "I," that "I" am the aggregate of feeling, that the aggregate of feeling is what I possess, that I have the functions and activities of the aggregate of feeling. Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of feeling, He directs the six consciousnesses to perform all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of perception as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that the aggregate of perception is "I," that "I" am the aggregate of perception, that I have the functions and activities of the aggregate of perception, that the functions and activities of the aggregate of perception are mine. "I can think, and the dharmas thought of are mine." Thus He directs and manipulates the six consciousnesses to perform all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of volitional formations as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that the aggregate of volitional formations is "I," that "I" am the aggregate of volitional formations, that the aggregate of volitional formations is what I possess, that I have the aggregate of volitional formations. "I can act, and what I do is what I possess." Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of volitional formations, He directs and manipulates the six consciousnesses to perform all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.

The manas takes the aggregate of consciousness as the self, or as what belongs to self, believing that the aggregate of consciousness is "I," that "I" am the aggregate of consciousness, that the aggregate of consciousness is what I possess, that I have the aggregate of consciousness. "I can discern, and what is discerned is what I possess." Thus, for the sake of the aggregate of consciousness, He performs all kinds of karmic actions at any cost, including unwholesome karmic actions.