The Mental Factors (caittas) of the Manas

Whatever kind of mind sentient beings have, the manas has the corresponding mental factors. If sentient beings are good people with wholesome minds, the manas has wholesome mental factors; if sentient beings cultivate meditative concentration and have meditative power, the manas has the mental factor of concentration; if sentient beings have the wisdom to deal with all dharmas, worldly and world-transcending, the manas has the mental factor of wisdom.

If the manas did not have wholesome mental factors, there would be no good people in the world, learning Buddhism would lead to no accomplishment, sentient beings could not ascend to the heavens to enjoy blessings, and there could be no wholesome karmic retribution. If the manas is unwholesome, no matter how the mind consciousness permeates and influences it, it is useless—sentient beings could never become wholesome. If the manas does not accord with the mental factor of concentration, then cultivating concentration is of no use; no matter how one cultivates, samādhi will not arise. If the manas could only have inferior wisdom, then there could be no wise discernment or decision-making, nothing could be done correctly, and in practice one could neither realize the fruits nor awaken to the true mind. Without wisdom, or with only inferior wisdom, one could never transform consciousness into wisdom, and could never have wisdom like the Buddha's. Could it be that the Buddha's manas was also so inferior and weak? Then how did the Buddha, by means of His manas, accomplish the Sambhogakāya Buddha (saṃbhoga-kāya-buddha)?