Why Does the Manas Think and Miss?

Why does the manas think and ponder? Is it not because the manas has remembered certain things—only what it cares about will it think of, and only what is important and needs further resolution will it ponder. All dharmas arise dependent on the mindfulness of the manas; only when the manas is mindful can the eighth consciousness cooperate and give rise to the dharmas that the manas is mindful of. If the manas is not mindful, the eighth consciousness pays no heed, the six consciousnesses do not arise, and then no problem can be solved. The dharmas that the mind consciousness is mindful of, thinks about, and deliberates upon, and the dharmas it cognizes and discerns, are all brought forth through the mindfulness of the manas. Without the mindfulness of the manas, the mind consciousness cannot arise, let alone have other mental activities.

Sometimes, after the mind consciousness has arisen, it is mindful of certain dharmas, but if these mindfulnesses and ideas have not been permeated into the manas, and the manas is not mindful of them, then the dharmas the mind consciousness is mindful of will not be accomplished. For example, when memorizing Buddhist sutras, the mind consciousness may recite them very fluently, but if the manas does not take them to heart, the mind consciousness cannot memorize them; memorizing is recollection, and if the manas has not retained them, the mind consciousness cannot recollect. The recollection of the mind consciousness is guided by the manas; if the manas cannot guide the content of the sutras, the mind consciousness cannot recite them. If the manas is not interested in reciting sutras, the mind consciousness can only recite for a while before it can no longer continue—the mind grows weeds. The manas is more flexible and adaptable than the five sense consciousnesses, and far more flexible and adaptable than the mind consciousness as well; He is the driving force behind the manifestation of all dharmas. Therefore, His functions and roles must far surpass those of the five sense consciousnesses and surpass those of the mind consciousness—only then can it be accomplished.